Relationships
by AriannaK
Summary: A grumpy elder gets stuck with the chore of trying to find a lifemate for an ooman...and when she picks him, things don't go so well at first. (Warning: rated M for adult, sexual content and language.) Please R&R! COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

A knot drew tight in his stomach as he searched the area, scouring the birch forest and nearby dwellings. Hunting oomans had almost become boring for the elder, and so he'd left the young male on his own. That proved to be a grave mistake. There were signs that the young hunter had wandered farther then he had deemed safe. If his mate found out that he'd lost their son, she'd likely tear off his limbs.

The elder himself was concerned for the young male. His son wasn't a pup anymore, but he'd just passed his chiva and wasn't experienced yet. The land was covered in a layer of snow and frost, and if his homeostasis netting was damaged, the male could freeze. Oomans had proven to be worthy prey on numerous occasions, even with such primitive weapons, and Sobek hoped that one didn't get lucky. And worse then being killed by an ooman, was to be captured by them. A snarl ripped from his throat at the mere possibility.

His wrist device vibrated and he clicked the buttons on top to see what was up. It alerted him that his ship had been boarded by a life form that wasn't yautja, confirming his suspicions. He whipped around and hurried back to his ship. If oomans had his youngest son, and had found his ship as well, they were in for a shock. He'd take the oomans head in his hands and slowly twist as he listened to the sickening crack of their neck as it broke. He wouldn't stop until it's head came off its shoulders.

He stepped on board the ship, mandibles tensely splayed as much as they could be inside his mask. His plasma castor was aimed, his wrist blades were drawn, and he had his smartdisc in hand. The young male stood in front of him, his mask and armor gone, and his eyes widened. The elder paused for just a second, but the continued to advance. His son had left the hunting ground, and he could smell the oomans stink clouding the air on his ship.

His son knew he was in trouble and immediately began explaining, "I was looking for a worthy opponent, but I found something else, an ooman pup."

He lifted his bronze smartdisc and pointed it at him,"You deliberately disobeyed me!"

The young hunter didn't back down, "The ooman is wounded and sickly. It needs help."

"The ooman will be euthanized and you will be restricted to hunts on the home planet from now on! Meet me in the kehrite so I can teach you a lesson or two." He retracted his serrated wrist blades and secured the smartdisc on his hip.

"Restrict my hunts from now on, but don't kill the ooman."

Sobek surged forward and slugged the young male in the face, hard enough he staggered back and began to bleed, "My word his final!"

His son bowed his head, and Sobek brushed past him to find the ooman. The strong stink of it led him into the medical bay. As he neared the room, the door slid into a pocket in the wall, and he stepped inside. His eyes locked onto the oomans form, sitting in a corner. He was surprised to see it was so small, and his mask indicated that it was female as well.

The ooman had seen their kind now, and couldn't be placed back outside. She was sickly as his son had said, and likely wouldn't survive anyway. The proper thing was to put her out of her misery. She watched him as he approached, not looking the least bit afraid of him, and he had to admire that. When he let his wrist blades drop though, she suddenly stood and wrapped her arms around his leg.

His jaw tightened as he stared down at her. She was a little under four foot tall, and her head didn't even reach his hip. Her red hair was matted into thick dreds. Her bones were visible under her white, paper-thin skin. She was starving.

In truth, Sobek had never killed a child. There were times where he knew it might be necessary, if a child was in pain, or wounded beyond repair. Though the ooman looked very frail, she still had much life in her. It would be easy to dispatch her, and be done with it. Instead, he took pity on her.

After a moment of quandary, he contacted his sons bearer, knowing her decision would be the final verdict for the ooman child. He was able to talk to her though the speaker in his mask, and told her of the situation he was in. If she wanted to take the child in, then so be it. If not, his plans would remain unchanged and he'd euthanize the ooman. In the end, the yautja female hesitated, but agreed to take the child.

Sobek placed his hand on the oomans head to shove her off him. The child staggered back and craned her neck to try and look up at him. She would need medical attention, a bath, and would need to be fed. He certainly did not want to deal with her. Sobek went and found his son sulking in the kherite, waiting for him.

"The ooman is your responsibility from now on. Don't see this as a reward for your behavior though. I'll let your bearer deal with you when we land." The yautja female would give him a far worse beating then Sobek would.

His son quickly headed into the medical bay to care for the ooman, and Sobek went to his bedroom. He carefully undid his armor, setting it aside to be polished later. He filled up the bath with hot oils, and steam rose from the dark liquid. He needed a relaxing soak after all that had happened. Just when he was about to undress though, he was interrupted.

His son approached him with his eyes lowered, "I need your assistance."

Sobek placed his hand over his face, putting pressure on his temples, "It is an ooman child, what difficulties could you possibly have?"

His son didn't answer.

The elder calmly stepped in front of the young male, and delivered a series of merciless blows. His son did not cower, but did not try to defend himself either, knowing that would only extend his beating. Sobek brought him to his knees and snarled, "Your incompetence is draining away my patience!"

He'd taken him to hunt on earth as a favor to his bearer, and was glad that when they landed back on yaut prime, he likely wouldn't see the male for a few years. Raising offspring was the females endeavor, and the boy had much to learn before he was mature enough for Sobek to tolerate. He led the way back to the medical bay, where the ooman was sitting up on the exam table. She was tiny and frail-looking. He did not think she would put up any sort of fight.

He tried to take off the oomans worn out foot coverings, but she squirmed. When he got one off and set it beside her, she quickly grabbed it and held it to her chest. The little ooman likely didn't have any possessions besides the clothes she wore, and he could understand her possessiveness over them. To keep her compliant, he took the other shoe off and handed it to her. When he grabbed her foot though, she yelped.

There was an infected wound on the bottom of her foot. He applied a healing cream to it as she tried to wriggle away. Sobek checked her for other wounds then, but grabbed her jaw too roughly. Even though she was so small, when she punched his face it made his teeth clang together. He grunted and restrained her as he pried open her mouth. She whined and fought him, but he caught a glimpse of an abscessed tooth.

The ooman had to be in some pain, yet she didn't show it. He healed the inside of her mouth, then proceeded to disinfect her of earthly bacteria, parasites, and anything else she might have. He gave her an injection at the front of the throat that expanded into a filter for her lungs, making their planets air breathable. Now all that was left was to get her skin scrubbed free of dirt, and get her into proper clothes. As soon as he reached for her pants though, she panicked and jumped off the table.

His son grunted, "Removing her clothes was the first thing I tried, yet she wouldn't allow it."

He snatched her up and set her back up on the table. Sobek grabbed the fabric around her legs and started to tear it away. The ooman began pounding her fists into him and shouting. He could understand the worry she had for her clothes, but he was going to provide her new ones. He tried to pull the mess of fabric away from her, yet she crossed her legs and curled into a ball.

He was starting to think her panic was more then just a concern for her clothes. She was just a child, and he doubted she even knew the meaning of mating. If someone had her, all she'd know is that it hurt. He held back a growl, worried it would frighten her. Oomans were more like animals; they couldn't control their actions or emotions very well. Sobek was disgusted with oomans.

He was still on edge from his sons disobedience, and worrying about him. When he had disappeared, he'd thought he might be dead or captured, and that took a toll on any parent. The elder took a breath to calm himself. He would try to deal with the ooman a bit more delicately from now on. Sobek gently grabbed the girl around the middle, and handed her to his son.

He held her up as he started to slide down her pants. When she started to fuss, the young male began to purr. The child immediately went slack in his arms. The elder was glad his son finally had one useful thought. After her clothes were removed, his son carried her to the bathroom.

He went to set her in the bath, but the elder spoke up, "Maybe it's better she take a shower instead. We don't know if she can swim just yet."

The young male set the ooman down in the shower and started the water for her. Her skin was so dry and her lips were cracked. Sobek went and retrieved a bar of lotion. He thought he'd have to show her what to do with it, but she grabbed it from his hands and began rubbing it over her skin. They waited for her to finish, listening to her drop the slippery bar of lotion over and over again.

Then, he moved her to a different cubicle and had her dried. As soon as the warm air rushed over her, she lifted her shoulders and began to giggle. His son perked up at the sound and tilted his head with interest. Sobek had heard oomans laugh before, but he'd never been the cause of it. After that, he fitted a loincloth around her. And after some indecision, he tore a different leather garment and tied it around her torso to cover her nipples.

She examined her new clothes with a smile, but then started to bring her knees together and bounce up and down. Sobek didn't spend much time around young pups, but he understood her anxious movements. She had to use the bathroom. He grunted and nudged her shoulder to prompt her to follow him.

Sobek glanced back at his son, "Go make a bed for her in the second guest room."

He led her to the toilet, but she literally had to climb up onto it. His ship was not designed for pups. Then when she almost slipped, he yelled at her, "If you fall in the chemical water, it will burn like acid!"

She looked up at him, and he knew she didn't understand a word he was saying. She looked so unstable on the seat, as the hole was way too big for her. Rather then have her touch the chemical water and start bawling, he stepped forward and held her middle. She didn't have a problem going in front of him. When she was finished, he lifted her off the toilet, then helped her tie the loincloth.

Without any prompting from him, she found the sink. She could barely reach the bowl. Their sinks weren't soap and water, it was a condensed sanitizer gel and sanitizing water. You cleaned your hands with sanitizer, or you could rinse off your hands with sanitizing water, but you didn't use both. The ooman pup didn't know any better, and used both.

Though she didn't speak his language, he scolded her, "Do not waste resources!"

She dried her hands then he led her out of the bathroom, but his room was right beside it. As soon as the ooman caught sight of his bed, she ran and jumped on it. When he tried to remove her, she rolled around, trying to evade him. He was gentle, but grabbed her by the ankle and hauled her up. She giggled, enjoying it.

The elder carried her out of his room like that, with her upside-down, swinging by her ankle. His son met them in the hallway. He quickly scooped the little ooman into his arms, coddling her as though the elder was mistreating her. She reached up to curiously place her hands on his forehead, and son trilled at the attention.

"Feed her, and try to comb out her hair-its not supposed to look like ours. Then, see if she'll go to sleep."

The elder went back into the bathroom, crouched down and swept his claws through the tub water. He'd allowed his bath oils to get cold. He turned on the heater, and while he waited for the water to warm, he logged into the ships controls. He would be glad to be rid of the needy child once they reached the home planet.


	2. Chapter 2

Of course, five cycles later the decision to let the little ooman pup live would come back to torment him. From what his mate said, his youngest son was maturing into a fine hunter. However, he'd become less interested in the ooman and more interested with trophies. It was only natural, but when children stopped caring for their pets, it became the parents responsibility to deal with them. Sobek was an elder, and had no time for pets though.

He slowly paced in his room as he talked to his former mate through his bio mask, "Sell the ooman then if he's no longer interested in her."

"The ooman is not a pet, Sobek. She went through an official chiva on our planet, and she saved one of my daughters from Cetanu. The ooman saved her life, and is now blooded. The ooman is like one of my own pups."

"Alright, but why have you contacted me for this?"

"On my honor, I said I'd try my best to give the ooman whatever she wished, as thanks for bringing my young daughter back alive. I offered her her a house, money, and more, but she didn't want any of that. She wants a lifemate."

"I hope your not implying that I might be interested in the ooman."

His former mate gave a short laugh, "Sobek, your too serious for an ooman. Plus, I know you'd never allow it with your reputation. I need you to take the ooman into your care and find a suitable mate for her, that's all."

"I have much more important affairs to attend."

"I'd do it myself, but my last two pregnancies have given me twins. I have my hands full right now. It was your son that found the ooman, and you let him keep it. The ooman is your responsibility now. You will get over here and pick her up!"

He let out a breath, "Yes, I will be there shortly."

The transmission ended and Sobek marched right to his ship, as the female had demanded. He had meetings to attend. He had to chivas to orchestrate. He would have to postpone terraforming missions because of this. He did not like the idea of being a matchmaker for an ooman, as it interfered with all of his plans, but he had little choice.

The ride to her house was not far. He stepped up to the door, a deep scowl on his face, not too pleased to be there. He expected his former mate to answer, but instead, it was the ooman who stood in front of him. Only five cycles had passed, yet he knew that was more like ten years on Earth. He was dumbstruck at how different she looked, and his scowl quickly disappeared.

The malnutrition she suffered on Earth did not stunt her growth; she was a few inches over six feet tall. She had muscle tone to her figure, and the faint outline of abs. Her hair was medium-length, deep copper color, and parted more to one side. She had on a long red loincloth and wore delicate armor around her hips and shoulders, more for show then actual battle. She carried a young pup on her hip, looking more like a woman then he'd imagined she'd be.

"Greetings high elder Sobek, please come inside while I collect my things."

He stepped inside and made himself comfortable in one of the chairs. An older pup immediately ran and jumped into his lap. Sobek shoved the child away from him with a growl, and it tumbled to the floor. The pup wasn't disheartened. It jumped right back into his lap, so Sobek splayed his mandibles in warning. The pup merely copied him, it's tiny mandibles stretching out to the sides.

Most of her stuff was already packed; she just had a few more things to gather up since she hadn't expected him so soon. Ylluna had just mentioned the elder to her an hour ago, and then here he was. She kept the young pup on her hip as she worked, and peeked glances out into the living room. She had been so young when they met, but Sobek looked exactly like she remembered. He was immensely tall, solidly built, and intimidating. He looked tense in his seat, and she figured he was just as cranky as she remembered too.

She slid two suitcases into the living room, "I could have had them delivered to the house, but I didn't want to waste money. Don't worry about carrying them to the ship, I'll get them." He didn't look like was about to get up and help her anyway.

She went back for the last suitcase, then began to haul them to his ship. She wasn't sure where she was allowed to set them, so she left them against the wall by the hatch door. Sobek watched the ooman make several trips to carry her stuff to his ship, and he grew increasing displeased. She hadn't set that pup down yet, making him believe it might be her own. His mate had not mentioned that she'd be bringing offspring with her.

She stopped in front of him, "Alright, all my things are in the ship. I'm just going to tell Ylluna and the other pups goodbye and then we can go."

"Ooman, please tell me you do not plan on taking that one with you."

She lifted the pup higher on her hip, "This little girl? I wish I could. She isn't mine though. I don't have any offspring yet; I guess Ylluna didn't tell you?"

He merely grunted.

She started to turn away, but then decided to add, "My name is Ila-sain'ja by the way." It sort of rolled off the tongue like Anastasia.

His eyebrows creased, "But that means 'petite warrior'. Didn't they give you a name on Earth?"

"Yes, I was called Svetlana, but I'd much rather be called by my yautja name if you don't mind."

When he didn't respond, she turned and headed into the nursery. Ila-sain'ja set the young female pup down in the play room, and began to say quick goodbyes to everyone. She was going to miss the older daughters particularly, and their conversations. Ylluna laid the two sucklings she had been feeding back in their cribs, then placed her hand on Ila-sain'ja's shoulder. Ila-sain'ja enjoyed helping around the house and with the pups, and knew Ylluna would miss her. After a moment, the yautja female turned and headed for the door, and she followed her out into the living room.

Sobek stood up, and the annoying pup on his lap fell to the floor again, "Go ahead, on the ship."

As the ooman left, he turned to his previous mate Ylluna, "Is my son here?"

"I told him you'd be coming, however, he didn't want to postpone the hunt with his friends. But he looks up to you, you know."

"That is good. I suppose I'll see him in a few more cycles then." Sobek left without another word.

He marched up into his ship, passing the ooman as he went to sit in front of the observation window. He had a secluded private residence in the jungle where he usually stayed, but hesitated to bring the ooman there. His other option was to take her on board a clan ship, with communal living quarters. He had a lavish room reserved for him at all times. It would be cramped and busy on board, but at least the ooman would be more able to meet a potential mate.

He made the proper arrangements, then docked the large clan ship. He hoped to show her to her room, then send her out by herself to search for interested males. An elder escorting an ooman around proved to be something of interest though. They were crowded in the hallways by curious denizens, and it wasn't long before someone challenged her, wanting to test her strength.

When the male shoved her, she had seen it coming, and hardly stumbled. He was of a middle rank, and those guys were always trying to prove themselves and start challenges. Ila-sain'ja was used to it. She was ooman, wore armor, and had a bracelet of rank rings. They saw her as weaker than them until she proved otherwise.

The elder stepped forward though, "I will be answering challenges for her at this time."

The male backed off immediately, but around another corner, a different male crowded her. He looked over her with interest, then touched her hair. This time, Ila-sain'ja issued the challenge. She shoved him away and he actually staggered back. The male was of higher rank, and splayed his mandibles at her, answering her challenge.

At this rate, they were never going to get to the room. The elder spoke up again, this time more tense, "I will be answering challenges for her at this time."

Even the higher ranked male backed down, without much hesitation. The elder was way above their rank, and even if someone had the slightest chance of beating him, it would be seen as disrespectful to try. Ila-sain'ja smugly picked back up her suitcases and they continued down the hall. The elder led her to her room. It was bigger than she had been expecting, fully furnished, and she even had a private bathroom.

"My room is right next door, so I can keep an eye on you. I wouldn't bother unpacking, I hope to find you a suitable mate within a few days. Feel free to roam around the ship, and look for a mate yourself."

Ila-sain'ja was not used to having free run of a ship with so many yautjas on board. Sobek started to leave, but she said, "I was hoping you would come with me. I don't know anyone here, and I'm sure things will go a lot faster with you introducing me to eligible mates."

He held back a disgruntled growl, "Fine."

"Great, give me just a second."

He stood by the door as she opened the suitcases. She rubbed some sort of fragrance on her skin, strapped a knife to her thigh, and combed through her hair. She wanted to look good for the males. Then, he led the way to the solarium. Four hallways were connected to a room of glass, and sunlight poured in from every angle. When training classes weren't in session, yautjas mingled in the room to talk and show off.

Sobek went around introducing the ooman, then let her talk of her achievements. She'd passed her chiva, had mastered several different weapons, and knew five different languages fluently. Males flocked around her, curious and impressed. Every time she mentioned wanting a lifemate though, they shrank away. No male in his right mind would want to be tied down to one female.

Sobek was starting to think that running into a mate on the clan ship likely wouldn't happen. There were plenty of yautja females for them to pick from, and most of the males were too young to consider a lifemate. He leaned against the wall and looked down at his wrist device. Mature males were more likely to settle down, and he had the contacts of many old hunting buddies around his age. He wasn't looking forward to the awkward conversations, that he was in fact stuck as a matchmaker for an ooman, but it was necessary to get the ooman out of his life as quickly as possible.

Ila-sain'ja tried to ignore the brown and orange striped female pacing behind the group of males, but it was making her tense. She wasn't surprised when the female finally jumped in her face, "What makes you think you are worthy of one of our males, ooman?"

"I have as much right to mate one of them as you do!" Everyone knew a fight was coming, and formed a circle around them both.

"Prove it!" The female shoved Ila-sain'ja hard enough that she fell backwards, unable to catch herself.

Elder Sobek sidestepped to get out of the way, but a different male behind him was more polite. The male caught the oomans shoulders so that she didn't hit the ground. Ila-sain'ja tilted her head back to get a look at the male that had caught her. He had bronze skin and black mottled spots. She shot him a smile as he lifted her back up to her feet, only making the female yautja more heated.

The female threw her arms out to the side in a blatant 'come-on' gesture.

Ila-sain'ja didn't hesitate to draw out her knife, "You challenged me, so I get to set the terms. I don't have time to fight every hormonal bitch and cocky male on this vessel, so to set an example, this will be a fight to the death. Right here, right now, with whatever weapons you have on you."

The yautja female stood at nine feet tall, and had two sets of wrist blades, one on each arm. Sobek couldn't step in and fight for the ooman if it was against another female, and the ooman should have known that. The ooman was going to get herself killed, and his former mate was going to rip him to shreds because of it. The yautja females wrist blades dropped with the sound of a deadly metallic slide.

Ila-sain'ja took a bold step forward, "Your move. Attack, and accept the terms."

Sobek could see the hesitation in the yautja female. She was taller, stronger, but the ooman was acting confident and brave in the face of death. The female may have had pups at home to worry about. Eventually the female let out a breath, and retracted the wrist blades.

The yautja female turned away with a hiss, "Your not worth my time."

Ila-sain'ja started looking around for the male with bronze skin, the one that had prevented her from falling, but the elder towered over her, "You are a stupid ooman."

A smile tugged at the corner of her lips,"If I had died, yes I would have been stupid. However, since that bluff actually worked, I believe you should call me clever."

Sobek didn't know what to think of her. He tilted his head down at the ooman, just trying to figure her out. Using a death challenge as a bluff was outrageous, even if it had worked. His chest rumbled and he turned to lead her back to the room. He knew one thing for sure, leaving her by herself on the ship at all was going to be a bad idea.


	3. Chapter 3

It was midday and usually oomans had to take a nap about that time, so he took her back to the room. He needed time alone to contact males for possible mates. Also, he hoped that he could get back to his normal business and attend a meeting or two. He thought that she would go to sleep or find something to occupy her time, but that didn't seem to be her intention. Ila-sain'ja went inside, but when he started to leave, she turned back and held the door open.

"Where are you going?"

"What I do in my spare time is none of your concern."

"Well if you have some spare time then, I'd like to talk to you. Come in here."

He rumbled in irritation, but followed her inside the bedroom. He rigidly stood by the door, waiting for her to continue.

"Ylluna said you'd help me find a lifemate, so I figure we should talk about what kind of male I'm looking for?"

He chuffed, "You'll be lucky to find anyone who will be a lifemate you you. You can't be picky."

"Bullshit. I can and will be as selective as I want...Now come sit down, you look like your ready to bolt out the door."

Sobek seated himself in the soft gel chair in the corner, while she sat on the edge of the bed. Before she went on about personality types and looks, he just had to ask, "Why do you want a yautja lifemate in the first place? You could have anything else you want-an ooman even. Wouldn't you prefer an ooman male?"

She knew it was wrong, but she was attracted to yautjas more then humans. She discreetly looked at Sobek, how his skin was colors of muddied browns with just the slightest hints of muted purple around his darker blotching. He had brands in his skin from significant achievements, but newer scars had torn through the designs. His dreds were a dark grey with a hint of blue. Strands of beads hung in his hair, as well as the thick gold Koros bands.

Ila-sain'ja casually shrugged her shoulders, "Every ooman male I've ever met just didn't live up to my expectations. I'm set on finding a yautja male."

"To take an ooman mate would be wiser."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Ila-sain'ja jumped up and started unpacking even though he'd told her not to. After a minute, she said, "Ylluna was surprised I asked for a lifemate, but what I want most is to wake up to the same male in my bed every morning...What do you want in life?"

"I have everything I ever wanted. I have at least a hundred strong sons, and as an elder I have peers that look up to me. I want nothing else."

The ooman went to say something but he raised his hand to stop her, "You should get some sleep. You will be meeting with a male later today."

"For a date? Already?"

"Yes." He rose from the chair, and headed out the door before she could protest.

Sobek set up several other dates for her, surprised that so many males were interested in a lifemate at all, nevertheless with an ooman. He was nearly 250 cycles old, comparable to 500 Earth years. Oomans only lived a fraction as long. Their eating habits and sleep cycles were vastly different. They were a separate species, and should not have been compatible in the first place.

When it was getting close to time for her first date, he returned to the room to wake her up. That wasn't necessary though. She was already awake, laying on the bed with a tablet in her hands. He didn't think she'd slept at all. She was apparently scrolling through males residing on the clan ship. Her eyebrows shot up and she held up the tablet to show him a young, half-naked male.

"Sexy isn't he? I know I'm supposed to be looking for lifemates, but I got sort of distracted by all these profile pictures."

Sobek cleared his throat, "A male will be arriving soon to meet you. Do you have a wrist device so that you can contact me in case something goes wrong?"

"Yep." She grabbed a small metal device that looked like a watch, and clicked it around her wrist. "And now you can help me pick something out to wear."

"You're already dressed."

She looked herself over with a frown, "Not for a date." Ila-sain'ja grabbed three different outfits and laid them on the bed, "Which one should I wear?"

He glanced over and pointed to the first one. It was a simple black V-neck top and brown fur shorts. Ila-sain'ja held up the outfit to her body and scrunched her face at it. She held up the other two outfits then, and Sobek leaned against the wall, trying to be patient.

"Do you really like that outfit best or did you just point to the first one because you don't care?"

He moved closer to the door, "I have several males interested in meeting you. You can wear a different outfit every day."

She looked over the clothes again undecisively but settled for the first one he'd chosen. Sobek left while she changed, then she waited for her date to arrive. Sobek said he had many interested males lined up, and that made her sort of eagerly nervous. She sat on the bed with her legs crossed, staring at the door. Finally, a symbol above the door-frame lit up and a small beep signaled that someone was outside.

Ila-sain'ja hoped up and opened the door. She was faced with a tall male with grey and brown skin. His bottom jaw jutted out somewhat, with the slightest under-bite. It didn't distract from his features. Really, it just made him look a bit fiercer.

"Hello, I'm Ila-sain'ja."

He caught onto her nickname, "Petite...warrior?"

"Mm-hm. Did you want to come in?"

He leaned forward to peek inside her room, but then said, "I was hoping we could go to my place?"

"Sure. Do you live on here on the clan ship?"

"No but it's just a short ride away. I have a personal bar and a trophy collection you'll be in love with. Come on."

On the rid there, she stood in front of the small ships observation window and said, "The elder didn't mention your name."

He noticeably puffed out his chest, "You can call me MasterDeath."

Ila-sain'ja just smiled and blinked for a moment, but then tried to keep the conversation going, "Is that a nickname or?"

It didn't take much prompting to get him to start talking about himself, "Yes I picked that nickname for myself, seeing as I am without a doubt a master of death. I can kill anything. I killed my fist xenomorph when I was only a pup. I've slain a total of eighteen xenomorph queens. And, I've died three times-medics were able to restart my heart."

She nodded, "Impressive."

"Yes, I know." he lingered behind her and she started to smell a thick musk enter the air. He probably thought his bragging had interested her.

She slowly paced in front of the ships window, "I've only killed one xenomorph. But, I have beaten many yautjas in combat, and that's how I got my warrior nickname."

He chuffed, seeming uninterested.

They quickly arrived at his house. The place was very richly decorated. The skulls on the walls were adorned with jewelry and paint. The furniture looked expensive, and there were huge fur rugs on the floor. Vivid holograms lit up the walls showing short clips of him defeating prey that played over and over. It was a little over the top to her, but she didn't comment.

He went behind the bar, "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Yes, as long as it's not intoxicating. I don't drink _C'ntlip_ or anything like that."

He poured two glasses, filling them with something that had the consistency of pond scum, and was of similar color too. He immediately began chugging down his drink. Ila-sain'ja brought the cup to her lips, trying to think of something to talk about. As soon as she took a sip though, the heat of the liquid burned her tongue and she ended up spitting it out on the counter. The cup was insulated, and he'd drank his so quickly she hadn't been prepared for it to be so hot.

She wiped off her face, "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize it was that hot!"

He glared at her as he grabbed a towel and wiped off the counter. Ila-sain'ja watched him, feeling guilty as he grabbed a spray bottle and polished the counter top as well. He obviously had a very nice house and wanted to keep it that way. She blew on her drink, and took tiny sips. Her tongue was already burnt though, and she couldn't taste a thing.

He waited for her to finish her drink, then he said, "Come see my trophy collection. But don't touch any of them, I mean it."

She just smiled sweetly and followed him into the basement. She had to admit, there was an impressive amount of skulls. However, most of them weren't very big or in very good condition. When yautjas were hunting, they usually made sure not to aim for the head or damage trophies they wanted to keep. However, he had skulls with spear holes through them, cracks, and missing pieces.

She circled around once then asked, "Where are the xenomorph queen skulls?"

"What?"

"You said you killed quite a few xeno queens, so where do you keep those skulls?"

"Oh, I donated those to schools, libraries, and a museum."

"You gave away your most valuable trophies? All eighteen of them? Well that's...nice of you." She was starting to think that every thing he said was pure bullshit.

He obviously thought all of this was working on her though. He crowded her, purring loudly. She hunched her shoulders and slowly turned away from him. He circled her, his musk getting stronger. Yautjas generally had two speeds when pursuing mates: fast, or not at all. Times that she had told yautja males to slow down had just confused them.

So, she just tried to distance herself from him. In the trophy room, she didn't feel like she had anywhere to go though. His proximity was making her uncomfortable, so she took a step back and bumped into a table. The skulls on top just barely rocked, but the foot of the table left a scratch in the floor.

"Oh, oops, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that."

A low growl bubbled up from his chest, and he harshly pointed at the steps, "Get out."

She scowled at him, "I'm sorry. It's just a little scratch though."

"Out!"

Ila-sain'ja let out a little huff and went up the stairs. He didn't follow her up. He was probably inspecting his precious skulls for damage or trying to fix the tiny scuff mark she'd put in the floor. Ila-sain'ja stood by the door, waiting for him, ready to go back to the clan ship. He seemed to think their date was over too. He came up the steps, didn't say a word, and promptly took her back to the clan vessel.

Sobek tilted head some as he heard her door. Their rooms were right beside one another, and the walls weren't exactly sound proof. He was just about to go to a meeting about safety policies, but hadn't expected her back so quickly. Sobek considered going over there to ask how it went, but he didn't need to. Ila-sain'ja came bursting into his room a moment later. She stomped right up to him, looking less than happy.

He laced his fingers together, ready for a lecture, "I assume it didn't go so well?"

"No." she said through grit teeth.

"I guess I should ask why?"

"He was a self-centered show-off, and I think a liar. He insisted on being called a ridiculous nickname. And then, I just barely scuffed his floor and he ordered me away. It was easily fixable! I don't know where you found that horrible male, but the next one had better be different."

She was absolutely fuming, and for some reason he found it amusing. He couldnt help but tease her, "You scratched his floor? You are such a clumsy ooman. I would have kicked you out too."

She crossed her arms and gawked at him for a second, but then admitted, "I spit on his counter too."

His chest rumbled, holding back a chuckle, "Is that part of an ooman mating ritual?"

"No!" She playfully slapped his arm.

He stared down into her brown eyes, "You have another date in the morning. Try not to ruin that one too."

A devilish smile spread to her lips, knowing he was just kidding. She kept thinking about 'MasterDeath' and his shabby trophy collection though, and wondered how the elders compared, "Where do you keep your skulls?"

"I have three different collections. I have some smaller trophies here, some on my private ship, and my largest trophies are kept at my private residence."

"Where here?"

"There's a hidden panel in the back of the room, that leads to another compartment."

His room was much bigger than hers. There were half walls, columns, and the ceiling even had arches. His bed was like a shallow bowl set into the floor, looking like a comfy nest. She wandered towards the back of the room, searching for the secret panel. She swept her hands over the shelves and the wall.

"What are you doing ooman?"

She glanced back at him, "I want to see your collection."

"Above the shelf, press the third tile."

He watched her struggle to reach it. She was on her tiptoes, but her fingers still couldn't reach the tile. Sobek walked up behind her, and reached over her to press the button. A thin door next to the shelf slid up into the ceiling. Ila-sain'ja stepped inside the secret room, and peeked around, seeming intrigued.

After a minute he cocked his head at her, "Do they not disturb you?"

"Not at all."

There had to be at least fifty skulls in the room. They were all perfectly preserved, polished, and smooth. She was tempted to touch them, but knew better. Surprisingly, every single skull in there was from a human being, except for two. She hadn't lied though-seeing all those human skulls didn't bother her at all.


	4. Chapter 4

Ila-sain'ja agreed to stay in her room so he wouldn't have to worry about her as he attended a meeting with other elders. The proceedings went smoothly, but it took several hours to go through all the details. It was well after dark by the time he got back to the clan ship. He assumed that the ooman would be asleep by then, especially if she hadn't taken a nap in the middle of the day. He was wrong.

He just started to untie his loincloth for bed when she walked into his room. He let out a low growl and quickly retied the strings before turning to her. Her eyes were a bit puffy and she drug her feet.

"I know this is going to sound strange, but can I sleep in your room?"

"What is wrong with your room?"

"Well, the furs on the bed are a little coarse, but that really isn't the problem...You see, I'm not used to sleeping alone. When I was younger I slept in your son's bed, and when he was gone I slept beside Ylluna's other pups."

"Your not sleeping in my bed."

"I can sleep on the floor."

"No." he thought she was old enough to be over this sort of childish behavior.

"Please, I can't sleep."

"Exhaustion will eventually take you and you will sleep in your own bed."

She didn't argue. Ila-sain'ja promptly left, and through the walls he heard her door open then close. He proceeded to undress, then slipped into bed. There was no need for him to set an alarm anymore. He was so accustomed to waking up with the sun that his body automatically woke at that time.

He slept the whole night without any interruptions, but in the morning, he immediately noticed the smell in the air. It was tainted with something sweet; the scent of a female. He sat up with a growl. The lights hadn't begun to brighten yet, but in the dark he could clearly see the oomans form at the foot of his bed. She was asleep in his room on the floor.

Despite having told her no, she had snuck into his room after he fell asleep. She must have been extremely quiet, but it bothered him that he hadn't heard her. It made him feel like he was loosing his edge. Sobek wasn't shy about his body, but it bothered him that he was naked in front of her too. He got up, tied a loincloth around himself, then nudged her side.

She quickly jolted upright, loosing balance, "I-I'm sorry; I couldn't sleep." She sprinted out the door, knowing she was in trouble by the stern look on his face.

Ila-sain'ja felt bad for disobeying him, but she wasn't used to the new room, wasn't used to everything being so quiet. Instead of having to bother Sobek again by having him escort her to breakfast, she dressed and went by herself. The hallways were empty at first, but as the lights brightened in time with the sun, the hallway became more crowded. Everyone was heading to work or training practice. She tried to find the dining hall, but the terminals were like a big maze.

She looked up at a map on the ornate walls, trying to figure out where she was. Yautjas bustled past her, rudely shoving her aside. One male stopped behind her, and Ila-sain'ja put her hand on her knife handle. She took a step to the side, hoping he was looking at the map instead of her. He wasn't.

She was caught off guard when he actually was polite at first, "Pretty ooman, are you lost?"

"Yes. I'm trying to find the dining hall, but I keep taking wrong turns..."

"Dining hall? Little thing you should be heading to the courtyard, so we can play tag with my smartdisc."

She shot him an angry glare before stomping off. He didn't follow, but she kept her hand hovering over her knife. She eventually found the dining hall, and was glad that it was mostly empty. She grabbed a tray of food, then plopped down at an empty table. She was nearly finished eating when she got the funny feeling that she was being watched.

She chewed slower and glanced around suspiciously, but no one was staring. She heard just the slightest sound from behind her though. She tried not to tense, knowing that would give her away. Whoever was behind her was close, but holding their breath, or she would have heard it. She drew her knife and whirled around, not even looking to see who it was before plunging the blade down.

Still, she was too slow. The yautja caught her wrist before the blade nicked his skin. She expected her wrist to be crushed or twisted, but it didn't happen. She realized then that it was the elder standing in front of her, not some other arrogant male. She put her knife back in its sheath and sat back down.

"Why were your trying to sneak up on me?"

"I was merely curious if you'd be able to hear me coming and be able to defend yourself. Ylluna entrusted me with your care and safely."

"I am not as delicate as I look."

He chuffed, not rejecting her claim but not quite believing it either. "Are you finished with breakfast?"

She pushed around the last few bites with the utensil, then said, "Yea."

"Come then, you have another meeting with a male. I'm going to drop you off at a restaurant."

"A restaurant? I just ate."

"Yes, well, I wasn't the one who took you to breakfast. You left on your own, or I would have informed you that you'd be eating soon anyway."

"Right, sorry. You didn't look happy that I'd slept on your floor, so I didn't want to pester you."

She insisted on going back to her room to change, and he waited out in the hall for her. When she finally stepped out, she asked, "Do I look alright?"

He reluctantly looked her over. She was in a black dress with green at the very bottom. He didn't understand her concern about her looks. These were just informal meetings, and it wasn't even a mating season yet.

"You look fine. Let's go."

"Just fine? Or good? Should I put my hair back?"

"Do you wish to be late?"

She flopped her head to the side with a sigh, "Well, no."

"Come then." Sobek started down the hall, and she followed.

It was a very short ride to the restaurant, and they had her seated immediately. Sobek left, and Ila-sain'ja started sipping her drink. She looked down at her wrist device, staring at the clock. She was right on time, but the male wasn't there yet. She clicked off her wrist device and started spinning it on the table like a coin. She didn't realize how much time had passed until she finished her second drink and had to pee.

She jumped up, almost bumping into someone behind her. She slipped around him, "Excuse me, sorry."

"You're not leaving are you?"

She whirled back around, "I was just heading to the bathroom...Are you...my date then?"

"My name is Drek'teru. And I was told your name was Ila-sain'ja?"

"Yes, I just have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back."

He said it under his breath, but she still caught the words, "Make it quick."

She peed, fixed her hair, and adjusted her boobs in the dress, feeling she could take her time if she wanted to. When she returned to the table though, there were two plates on the table and he was already eating. It seemed he'd ordered for her. She sat down, glanced at her plate, then up at him. He was handsome at least. He had dark green eyes and striped hair with alternating light and dark strands.

"Hurry and eat. I planned on taking you to watch a fight."

"Oh, what sort of fight?"

"You will watch me fight, and your loins will beg for my seed."

She tried not to blush at his forwardness, "So you're of a high rank then I assume?"

"Yes. There are few breaks between hunts. I postponed my next hunt to meet you though. I like the idea of having a lifemate, but our relationship would have to be long-distance. We can video chat while I'm away collecting trophies. You'll keep me company."

"How long would you be gone at a time?"

"My hunts usually only last a couple months, then I'd come back and we'd be together for a week."

It wasn't a horrible proposal, but wasn't exactly ideal either. She would need time to think it over. She wasn't even sure if she liked the male yet, and would need to get to know him more. Conversation sort of died out though as he began messaging someone else. She taped her fingers on the table, waiting for him to get off his wrist device.

He cleaned his plate in a hurry, then suddenly got up and said, "We have to leave or we'll be late to the fight."

"Ok." She'd only had a few bites from her plate, and was glad she'd already eaten breakfast.

"Hurry." He pulled out her chair and grabbed her wrist to drag her to the front counter.

He taped the buttons on the pay device, then placed his hand on the scanner. Afterwards, he turned the tablet towards her. She skeptically leaned in to read the tablet. He was having her pay for her own drinks, as well as the food he'd ordered for her. He hadn't even let her finish the food, but she placed her hand on the scanner and paid.

She followed him out of the restaurant but then realized that she didn't have her silver wrist device on. She'd taken it off when she was bored to spin it on the table. "I'll be right back."

He let out a dull growl. She went back inside the restaurant to retrieve the wrist device off the table. It only took a minute, but he was stiffly positioned in front of the window watching her, waiting on her. She clicked the device back on, then walked outside to meet him.

"The fight club is only a few blocks away, but we'll have to run. Come on."

He started jogging, and she hesitated a second before lurching forward and following him. She ran right behind him, able to keep up with his pace, even in a dress. She stumbled when something wet hit her shoulder though, and scowled at the brown splotch of poo on her. She glanced up, briefly looking for one of the bat-like creatures occasionally seen flying around the city. She wiped it off, but then it was on her hands. She looked around for something to clean herself off with.

"Hurry!"

Ila-sain'ja tried to fling the crap off her, then wiped it on a nearby wall. Everyone was giving her odd looks. She caught up with Drek'teru. Around another corner he led her inside a building, but the first door he tried was locked. It looked like an elevator door, split in the middle, and he tried to foreceably open it.

He slammed his fist into once then growled, "We're too late. Someone else probably took my spot." he looked down at her, and she thought he was going to blame her, but he said, "Let's go to my place, so we can get that stuff off you."

She still had a brown smear of poo on her shoulder and dry flecks of it on her hands. Back at his house, she washed up in the bathroom and then looked for Drek'teru. He wasn't in the hallway, or the living room, or the kitchen. She found him in the bedroom, and he was completely naked. Her jaw dropped as she took all of him in, from his sculpted chest down to the appendage dangling between his legs.

"I don't have much time before I leave for my next hunt, or the other clan members will leave without me. Hurry and get undressed."

Ila-sain'ja was ooman, but she was still a female, and was supposed to be dominant on his planet. This male was getting on her nerves, dragging her about and ordering her around. She was sick of being told to hurry. Drek'teru was a mess, and a long distance relationship wasn't really what she wanted anyway. He crowded her, and his body was extremely tempting, but she turned away.

"I'm leaving soon, and will miss the mating season. You smell so fertile. What reason do you have to say no?"

She tried to formulate an answer, without sounding rude. However, his expression suddenly changed and he reached out to touch her upper lip. She pulled her brows together, unsure of what he was up to, until she noticed the blood on his finger. She touched her nose, smearing more blood.

"Shit I'm sorry, I have to go!"

She pinched her nose and leaned her head forward, trying to slow the bleeding. Drek'teru looked confused, but showed her to the door. Ila-sain'ja contacted Sobek and had him pick her up. The bleeding was already less, but as soon as he saw her, he looked furious. He grabbed her head in his large hands with a growl.

He was squishing her cheeks, "It's just a nosebleed. I've had them since I was young."

Spontaneous bleeding was not normal, even if she'd had it her whole life. He forced her head to tilt back, trying to examine her. Ylluna hadn't informed him that the ooman had any medical conditions. The ooman fussed and tore her face away from his grip with a scowl. He followed her onto the ship, and then into the bathroom to watch her wash the blood off.


	5. Chapter 5

Sobek wouldn't leave her alone, as though he expected her to bleed out. She actually found it sort of cute how concerned he was for her. Her nosebleeds didn't occur very often, and this time it had even saved her from an awkward situation. He really shouldn't have been worried. Ila-sain'ja looked at herself in the mirror to make sure she'd cleaned it all off, then turned to him with a smile.

"Are you sure you don't need to see a medic?"

"I'm fine."

He wasn't convinced, but decided to change the subject, "How did your meeting go? Will you be contacting him again?"

"Absolutely not."

"What went wrong this time?"

She let out a groan, "Well first he was late. Then he ordered food for me, made me pay for it, and kept telling me to hurry. We missed the fight we were going to go to. Then he undressed at the house and just expected sex."

He cooked his head at her. The male didn't sound so bad. He was probably just having a busy day, or was nervous about meeting the ooman. He was never going to find her a lifemate if she insisted on being so picky. The male was leaving on a hunt now, and wouldn't be back for a month or Sobek would have set up another date for her with him-whether she agreed or not.

"A bat shit on me too."

He trilled.

"That's not funny! I had to pee right when he arrived, then I forgot my wrist device when we left. And I got a nosebleed on top of it. I'm a mess."

"Yes, you are a forgetful and dirty ooman. I wouldn't have canceled my hunt to stay with you either."

"Oh ha ha..." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, pouting.

"You have another date coming to pick you up in twenty minutes. He goes by the name Krekk. He said to wear something sturdy."

She threw her arms up in the air dramatically, "Twenty minutes? Are you serious? I need some time to myself on occasion."

"I told you, I intend to find you a mate within a few days. What would you do on your spare time anyway?"

"Well...I'd like to get some training in. I could stop by the kherite and spar for a little while."

"Fine. I'll make some time for you to spar, after this date." He turned to leave, but she kept talking.

"Thanks, but...sturdy clothes? What is that supposed to mean? Where is Krekk taking me?"

"He didn't want me to say, but I suggest you wear thick pants and a top you can get dirty."

"Ugly clothes then."

Sobek promptly left and she got undressed when there was suddenly a beep at the door. Her date was early. Ila-sain'ja dug through her drawers of belongings, looking for the right clothes. She hadn't had time to organize everything. The door beeped again, this time louder. She pulled out a pair of baggy pants and an old top, but then the light above the door-frame disappeared, indicating that whoever was at the door had stepped away.

She didn't want her date to leave. She was in nothing but a bra, but ran and cracked the door open, "I'm still getting dressed. I'll be right out."

She shut the door before the male got anymore of a look at her, and tugged the outfit on. She slipped on some shoes, pulled her hair back, and was ready. She stepped out into the hall, and saw the male leaning against the wall in front of her door. He was short for a yautja, stocky, with striped pale-yellow skin and brown blotching. Before she could introduce herself, the male surged forward and picked her up.

He roughly pressed her up against the wall, growling like a feral animal. He pressed his face to her skin then, inhaling a deep breath. She was too shocked to tell him to stop. He slid his mandibles across her skin, nibbling at her sensitive spots. His hot breath on her skin make her shiver.

Another male in the hallway stopped to stare though, and when he purred, Krekk came unglued. He dropped her, and her knees bent before she caught herself. Krekk splayed his mandibles and charged at the other male who he obviously saw as his possible competition. The other male gave a short yelp when Krekk kicked him, then quickly disappeared around a corner.

Krekk came back and squared himself in front of her, his eyes roaming over her body. His hands reached out, more gentle this time. He felt up her chest, then swept his hands down her arms. He stepped closer until her back hit the wall, and then plastered himself against her, letting her feel the heat of his arousal. She was completely disarmed, ready to let him do whatever he wanted to her.

After a moment though, he took steps back and said, "We'll continue this later. Can you rock climb?"

She was still feeling lightheaded and aroused, and merely nodded.

He let out a low rumble, "Good. Follow me."

He led her through the clan ship to the drop pods. The clan ship was orbiting close to the yautja home planet, and the small pod could be directed to a general area of landing. Krekk seated himself inside the one-person vessel, and gestured her to come closer. He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. Then, he downloaded the coordinates and the door sealed shut in front of her.

The pod dropped away from the clan ship, rocketing towards the planet like a bullet. Krekk wrapped one arm around her waist, while the other fondled her breasts. As they entered the planets atmosphere, the pod began to shake and vibrate. She bit her lip and squirmed in his lap, tingling sensations plaguing her body. She wondering if he'd planed for that to happen, or if it was just coincidence-He could have let her grab a separate pod, instead of of riding on his lap.

The door sprung open, and he lifted her off him. She blinked in the bright sunlight and looked around. They had landed on a mountain, and not as the base of it. The pod was partially buried in the rock, with a cliff edge behind them and a steep climb in front of them. She shuffled towards the cliff face, looking down at the rest of the mountain and at the forest below.

Krekk grabbed a circular device from his hip that was about the size of a Frisbee. It was a unique device that folded out into a harness. He pressed the center button, and the edges broke into separate pieces connected by straps. The straps went around her hips, between her legs, and all snapped together leaving a metal circle from the center of the device like a big belt buckle. Then, he clicked something to her hip that looked like a gun hanging from a long length of rope.

Krekk put on his own harness, then showed her how to use the grappling gun. He aimed his up above the cliffs, and a very thin wire shot out. The metal end was imbedded into the rock. Then, he connected the end of the cord from the gun to the center of his harness. It wouldn't pull him up itself. He had to climb, but as he did, it collected the excess wire so that if he slipped, he wouldn't fall far.

It seemed easy enough, until she had to get the hook back out of the wall. Ila-sain'ja followed his movements, and safely secured herself with a type of camming device. With the click of a button, a small blast propelled the hook back out of the rock, and her harness quickly retracted the line. She was able to then reload the coil of wire and the hook back into the grappling gun. The gun had a bit of a kick though, and on the side of the cliff face, she lost balance. The camming device prevented her from falling, but she was now horizontal and she needed to be vertical.

When she tried to grab the thin wire and pull herself upright, Krekk spoke up, "Don't touch the line! If you slip, it will cut your hand open. Never get it around yourself either, because if you fall, it can amputate a limb."

It was good advice. She clamored upright, using the rock-face. "So, what do you do for a living?"

"I do a lot of weapon modifications, mounting them on vehicles and other things. I sell legal drugs that act similar to adrenaline and steroids. What do you do?"

"Nothing yet. I was always too busy babysitting to do anything else."

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"Um..." She was finding it hard to think and focus on climbing at the same time, "I'm not sure really."

Rocks under one of her hands crumbled, and she quickly clung to the cliff, her heart pounding. "This is definitely the most exciting date I've been on yet."

"Just wait until we reach the top." He proceeded to climb, getting farther above her, "Watch your feet, and use your legs more. Your legs are stronger."

Once she got the hang of it, it was actually really fun. She caught up with Krekk, and they climbed side by side. She liked watching his muscles at work. She'd picked a bad path though, got stuck, and he began to climb ahead of her again. Ila-sain'ja debated her options for a second, then bent her legs and jumped to the side. She swung over to a spot with better handholds, and quickly passed Krekk up.

He let out a hoarse growl, "Is it to be a race then?"

She smiled broadly down at him for a second, then pushed on, trying to hold onto her lead. She managed to stay ahead of him for a while, until she got tired. Ila-sain'ja plopped down on a short cliff edge to catch her breath. Krekk climbed up, his hand on the cliff ledge, then on her leg and then her hips. He climbed over her, slowly feeling up her body as he passed her.

She let out a wanting breath, and convinced herself to continue climbing. They were so close to the plateau at the top. Ila-sain'ja carefully stood up and shook her arms, trying to get the blood pumping in her sore muscles. She reloaded the grappling gun and leaned out, trying to get a good shot that would take her right to the top. There was the sound of crumbling rock, then the tension on the chord connected to the camming device suddenly went slack.

When she started tipping backwards, she immediately pulled the trigger on the grappling gun. She only fell a short distance before the metal hook embedded itself in the rock and the chord snapped tight. The gun was torn from her hands with the force of the fall, but was still securely attached to her hip. Her body swung and hit the side of the mountain. She sucked in a breath through her teeth, wincing as pain jolted through her knee.

It hurt to extend her leg, or put weight on it.  
Krekk propelled down and was quickly at her side, inspecting her. There was just a deep scrape on her knee though, and a little blood. He thought she was exaggerating the pain.

He punched her shoulder, "Come on, toughen up. The view up there will be worth it, I promise."

Ila-sain'ja liked to think that she had a good tolerance for pain, but this was proving her wrong. She shook her head at him, "No, I have to get down."

Krekk looked up at the top of the cliff face, then at her with an exhale. He didn't say anything, but started propelling down. It took her a while to go through the same steps he did to propel down, but she managed. Her knee was still throbbing, and she did her best not to put any weight on it. At the bottom off the mountain, there was a forest.

They had to walk to the clearing on the other side to be picked up by a ship. Ila-sain'ja grabbed a stick off the ground and hopped on one foot for the most part. She was slow, and Krekk didn't seem happy.

"It is just a small wound. A female should not show such weakness."

She let out a loud breath, "I'm tired and it hurts. I think I may have broken something."

His mandibles started to widen at her, but then he tucked them against his mouth.

She leaned against a tree. Hoping around was making her out of breath. Ila-sain'ja pressed her fingers to her knee cap to try and feel if something was broken, but it just made tears spring to her eyes. Even the most steeled of hunters could be moved by an oomans tears, and Krekk was no exception. He carefully picked her up, carried her out of the woods, and onto the small ship that had come to pick them up.

By the time he set her down on the medical table, her knee was swollen. He did a quick scan, and then admitted, "Your patella was fractured, and that caused a few tendons to tear."

She was healed in no time, and the pain vanished. Krekk lightly ran his hands up and down her arms, "I'm sorry I didn't believe that you were seriously injured. I'm taking you right back home."

"No, you don't have to do that...I mean, if you had something else in mind that we could do...?"

She placed her hands on his chest, and it pulsed with vibrations from a low purr. They were both thinking of the same activity. He had the ship change its direction. It was a short ride to a small house in the desert. Even though her leg was fixed, he scooped her up and carried her off the ship.


	6. Chapter 6

They didn't even get inside before Krekk's libido was raging. He hugged her body against his hard chest and lowered his teeth to her dusky-pink colored skin, sliding them up her neck. Then he nibbled on her ear as his chest let out a low, lusty rumble. Eager to get her inside, he shifted her in his grip so just one arm was under her ass, supporting her. His claws tapped on the keypad beside the door to unlock it, but having a free hand was too tempting.

His broad hand closed around one of her breasts, squeezing gently. She arched into his touch, desperate to be pleasured, but her clothes deadened the feeling. The fabric was too thick so Krekk moved on. His hand went to her scalp, his nails lightly dragging through her hair. She looped her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his sturdy torso, frustrated that her clothes were still in the way.

As soon as he opened the door, he firmly pressed her against the nearest wall, his hips grinding into her. She held back a moan, not wanting him to know how easily he aroused her. Ila-sain'ja gave him a taste of his own medicine, and delved her fingers into his hair. She teased him at first, just lightly swirling her fingers around the thick fleshy strands. When she firmly squeezed them though, his body radiated heat like a blazing campfire.

His arms tightened around her back until she could feel the strong pounding of his heart. He let out a strained exhale, then suddenly his musk hit her will full force.  
Her inner walls clenched, hungry to be filled. Ila-sain'ja squirmed against his hard, muscular body, driving them both crazy. Krekk quickly carried her further into the house, but they didn't make it very far.

He threw her down onto the couch with a feral growl before hastily tugging off her clothes. Ila-sain-ja let him completely undress her, her center growing warm and wet for him. She grasped at his strong biceps then as his mouth lowered to her chest. He gently took one of her nipples between his mandibles, and his tongue flicked over her sensitive flesh. Her eyes were fixated on his exotic light-yellow reptilian skin as he continued to nip and lick her breasts.

As soon as she reached for the strings of his loincloth though, a loud noise made her hesitate. The scratching and growling sounds increased as she craned her head to find the source of the ruckus. A locked door began to violently shake as though something behind it was trying to bust it's way out. Whatever was behind the door sounded determined. Krekk sat up and let out a loud sigh.

"What is that?"

"A pet. He doesn't like me, or any strangers really. This isn't my place; I'm just house-sitting." Krekk slid his claws up the back of her neck before grabbing a fistful of her copper hair and forcing her head to tip back, so her neck was exposed to him, "Why don't we move to the bedroom?"

His chest let out low rumbles as he skimmed his teeth over the front of her neck. She breathed a lusty, "Yea." and he scooped her up off the couch.

He deposited her on top of silver and black pied furs, which were incredibly velvety. She didn't have a single concern about mating in someone else's bed. Ila-sain'ja rolled to her stomach, then slowly lifted her ass in the air, prompting him to come and mount her. Her center was wet with anticipation, her thighs growing slick with how much she wanted him. However, when he didn't jump her immediately, she twisted around to see what was wrong.

Krekk was staring at her body hungrily, but said, "I want you to beat me."

She slowly turned to her side, "What?"

"I want you to be an aggressive, dominant female and beat me. Hurt me. Take your anger out on me."

Ila-sain'ja shook her head.

He grabbed her legs and tugged her closer, "Come on, your a tough girl. Plenty of females enjoy physically dominating males."

Ila-sain'ja couldn't deny that she enjoyed putting a cocky male in his place, or kicking ass when a male pissed her off. However, beating a mating partner had never been her thing. Krekk was obviously physically fit and worthy of being a mate. There was no point in her testing his strength. He wasn't going to let her turn him down though, and pulled her off the end of the bed.

She stood in front of him for a moment, feeling hesitant, "What do you want me to do?"

"Punch me-anywhere you like, as hard as you can."

She hit him, and she could feel his muscles tensing as her fist made contact with his abs. His whole body was muscle. He didn't even flinch. Ila-sain'ja hit him again, this time putting more power behind it. While the foreplay on the couch had aroused him, being punched was what really made his cock serge with blood. A bulge was forming behind his loincloth.

Feeling encouraged, she continued to wail on him, but it wasn't enough. "Kick me in the crotch."

Ila-sain'ja chewed on her lip, "Are you sure?"

He bunched his muscles and nodded.

The crotch was an off-limit area, even during real fights and challenges though. She couldn't push herself to kick him there, even if he would enjoy it. This was getting too weird for her, but he was eagerly waiting on her to inflict more pain. She winced as she reluctantly grabbed his shoulder and jammed her knee into his crotch.

Krekk groaned loudly and slowly dropped to his knees. She frowned at him, her heart beginning to pound, worried that she'd really hurt him. He suddenly grabbed her ass though, and stuffed his face between her legs. Her knees went weak as his mandibles parted her lips and his tongue lapped at her supple flesh. She moaned, and dug her nails into his shoulders.

"You're so sexy, don't stop. Kick me in the face."

"Huh? In the face? Are you sure?"

Krekk groped her ass for a moment, nodding ardently. Ila-sain'ja took in a breath, backed away, then slammed her foot into his face. He hardly moved, but his chest pulsed with a satisfied rumble. After a few more kicks, he suddenly surged forward and forced her under him. He firmly pinned her shoulders to the floor, growling darkly above her.

He reached to undo his loincloth but said, "Don't stop. Choke me, scratch, bite, and harshly squeeze my hair. It makes me so hard."

Ila-sain'ja closed her eyes and nodded, her body buzzing with anticipation. He roughly spread her legs and pressed his organ flush against her. He was hot and hard between her thighs. Her body shuddered, feeling just how large his cock was. He felt absolutely huge though, impossibly big...

He started to position himself, but Ila-sain'ja shoved him away, "Oh no no no. Hold on a second."

She shoved at his chest until he relented, and sat back on his heels. She stared his cock, not quite believing what she was seeing. There were big cocks, huge even, and then there were monster cocks. Krekk had the latter. After some time, Ila-sain'ja had become used to members as big as tall beer cans, but Krekk's was more like a large wine bottle.

Her eyes began to widen as she thought about trying to accommodate a rod that big, but then she let out a breath and said, "You're too big for me."

Krekk leaned forward to press his mandibles to her forehead, "I was afraid of that."

It didn't take long for her to get dressed, and Krekk promptly took her back to the clan ship. He still touched and groped her until they reached her room, but if she wouldn't even attempt to sleep with him, he couldn't ever be a mate. Back home then, she started to prepare for training. Sobek had promised her some free time, but she didn't know how much of it she had. She had just finished dressing up her armor when there was a beep at the door.

It was the elder. She stepped past him into the hallway, "Hey. Can you escort me to the kherite?"

"Of course." Sobek immediately turned to lead her to the training hall.

He could smell a faint musk on her, but it was not a thick smell as though she'd actually copulated. He took that as an indicator that the date had not gone favorably. She was already being more quiet then normal, so he didn't want to agitate her more by asking for details. Sobek still had a dozen more suitors lined up for her anyway. When they reached the kherite though, she started explaining.

Ila-sain'ja grabbed the power punch glove, a shuriken, then turned to Sobek with a frown, "I fell off a cliff."

Sobek let out a snort and tilted his head.

"Yea, no joke. Broke my knee cap."

He followed her onto the training mats, where several blooded hunters stopped sparring to watch her. As she casually began stretching, they slowly started to crowd her. Sobek was curious who she'd pick to train with. Blooded hunters could vary greatly in skill. Her nickname meant 'petite warrior' and Sobek was eager to see if she lived up to her name.

She surprised him though, "Elder Sobek, would you honor me by being my sparring partner?"

All of the blooded hunters quickly moved away from her, grumbling their disappointment. Sobek didn't see any harm in it. His skill was disciplined enough that he wouldn't end up injuring her. He walked onto the mat without a weapon, and squared himself in front of her.

"He wanted me to beat him before sex."

"That is normal, females often rough males up to make sure they are strong and worthy of seeding them."

"When I was injured, he didn't believe I was hurt that bad, and then he took me to someone else's house too. But, I really liked him."

He wouldn't let her words distract him. As soon as she was done speaking, she swung the shuriken at him, keeping it in her fist, and using it as a melee weapon. He avoided her easily, taking steps back when necessary. He let the blade come close to grazing him; sometimes she only missed him by a few millimeters.

As she walked around him, he casually asked, "So you'll be seeing him again then?"

He stayed still and let her walk around to his back, out of his line of sight. Sobek carefully listened to her footsteps, her breathing, and the slightest sounds of her clothes as they wrinkled. He was able to anticipate her attack, even without being able to see her. She used the power punch glove to throttle a blow to his spine, but Sobek twisted around and evaded her. She brought the shuriken towards his abdomen but with one swift move he struck her wrist.

Ila-sain'ja sucked in a pained breath, and couldn't help but drop the weapon. She flexed her hand for a moment, then picked back up the shuriken. She knew it wouldn't work on Sobek, but as a distraction and intimidation technique, she played with the shuriken's blades. She long curved blades retracted into the device then quickly sprang back out. When she attacked though, she used the power glove, aiming at his ribs.

When he easily dodged her strike, Ila-sain'ja admitted, "No I won't be seeing him again."

"Why not?"

Ila-sain'ja glanced around the room, confident that Sobek wouldn't take a shot at her when she wasn't looking. The other yautjas didn't appear to be paying attention to their conversation, but she knew they had excellent hearing. "His dick was enormous."

Sobek just nodded slowly.

"I'm serious."

"You turned him down for that?"

"You should have seen this thing! I don't know how he kept it contained in his loincloth! He would have ripped me in half!The only up side, if I could have gotten used to his size, is I'm sure child birth would have been effortless."

Sobek's mandibles twitched upwards, slowly curving into a smirk.

"It's not funny!"

Sobek switched to offense, throwing punches and testing her defenses. He had to admit that she had good technique. She used advanced fighting combinations, and effective defensive maneuvers. She was well trained, but Sobek found her too predictable. While he landed several blows, she didn't so much as touch him once.

She was getting winded and frustrated, "Stay still so I can hit you!"

Sobek tilted his head inquisitively, never having heard someone make such a ridiculous request. He tightened his abs as her fist aimed for his torso. With the power glove on, it gave her more force than even a bodybuilding yautja. He grunted as the metal came in contact with his stomach, knocking the wind out of him temporarily. It made him stumble back a small step too. The other yautjas eyes all went wide, astounded that a high elder would even allow her to strike him.

Ila-sain'ja seemed baffled as well, "I didn't actually think you'd stand still! That's going to leave a welt..." Yautjas were seriously tough, but the power punch glove was built to smash through rock.

Sobek merely grunted before advancing on her again. Even though he'd let her hit him, it still gave her a little more confidence now that she'd at least got one shot in. Ila-sain'ja pushed herself to be faster, slashing the shuriken at his torso, but he still blocked every attack. She aimed the power glove towards his vulnerable areas-his knees, his face, his solar plexus, but he evaded every blow. He relaxed back in to simple defense, not throwing any punches, but simply let her tire herself out. Her renewed energy faded quickly.

Ila-sain'ja slumped against his side to catch her breath, and couldn't help but notice how he smelled. Most males didn't apply any cologne, as their natural musk attracted females. Ila-sain'ja usually couldn't smell their musk until they projected their musk or had been exercising. Sobek didn't smell like musk at all though, even after sparring. His skin lightly smelled like fresh tea leaves.

She inhaled the refreshing scent one last time, then leaned away before she embarrassed herself, "So, when is my next date?"

"You have a little more then an hour."

"Come on, I still have to shower and eat lunch!"

"He will be taking you to lunch. However, I do suggest that you take a shower lest you run this male off too."

Ila-sain'ja shot him a playful grin before placing the weapons back where she'd found them, then she followed Sobek back to her room.


	7. Chapter 7

On the way to her room, Sobek had told her to put something nice on, so she immediately headed to her drawers to pick something out. Her last date had almost gone well, and that had her feeling a bit more optimistic. She pulled out three dresses and laid them in the bed, then grabbed a few pairs of shoes too and lined them up. She started debating when she realized that the elder was still in the room.

Ila-sain'ja turned to him with a coy smile, "What are you still doing here?"

"Well," he huffed, "I figured you'd just come find me and make me help you pick something out anyway."

Her smile broadened, "You stayed to help me pick out clothes?"

He grumbled reluctantly but said, "Yes."

"Well come here then, pick from these. They are my best clothes. Is he taking me to a nice restaurant or?"

Sobek walked forward and examined the garments. After a moment he said, "I don't like any of them."

"Really?" Ila-sain'ja went back to the drawers and began sorting through them again.

Sobek came up behind her and plucked up a loincloth and corset. "You are going to a restaurant, but there is no need to dress so formal, as though you are going to a banquet or ceremony. I like this instead of the dresses."

It wouldn't have been something she would have picked, but she liked it better only because he's picked it out for her, "Alright, now get out so I can shower...please."

Ila-sain'ja waited to be reprimanded for commanding a high elder, but Sobek merely nodded said, "When your ready, I'll take you over there."

She wondered if he was so lenient with her because she was female, or because she was ooman. She quickly dropped the thought, folded the rest of the clothes back away, but left out the only pair of shoes that went with the outfit. She took a short shower, not wanting her date to arrive when she wasn't dressed yet, like last time. After that, she dressed, threw on some jewelry, and headed next door.

Sobek's eyes landed on her as soon as he heard the whoosh of the door as it opened. She could look so tough in armor, but then suddenly so delicate in jewelry. She had on the outfit he'd picked out. It was a leather loincloth that was layered like leaves, and a brown corset with straps that crossed in front of her throat and around her neck. Her sandals had a hard sole, but then were just soft cloth strips that crisscrossed around her ankle and tied in place.

"You look beautiful."

Ila-sain'ja's face instantly went red, "Thanks."

He cleared his throat then and headed for the door. Ila-sain'ja followed after him, still beaming. She assumed that they'd be leaving the clan ship like every other time, but she quickly realized that he wasn't leading her to his personal ship. There was apparently other places to eat besides the large cafeteria, and one of them was a crowded restaurant. Sobek navigated around the dining room, and seated her at a reserved table.

"Do you want me to stay with you until your date arrives?"

"Naw I'm good. I'm sure you have better things to do."

Sobek was hesitant to leave her alone. The clan members were starting to recognize that she was under his care, and most wouldn't dare touch her. However, she looked so small and vulnerable to him. The seating was built for yautja adults, and her feet didn't even touch the floor. If a challenge was initiated while he wasn't there, he worried she'd get herself killed.

Sobek left the restaurant, but decided to stand beside the door until her date arrived. The menu was printed into the actual tabletop, so she curiously began skimming through the options. She lifted her head every time someone passed her table, getting more anxious by the second. Finally, a male with steel grey eyes slid into the seat in front of her. Her mouth dropped some, amazed at how many spikes covered his face and torso. It gave him a very rugged and intimidating look.

"Hi!" She chirped.

"Hello little one. Order anything you like; I'm buying."

She nodded and glanced down at the menu again, but then said, "Honestly, I'm not used to eating this fancy stuff. I have no idea what to order-it all sounds good."

"Well, may I order for you then? This is the only place I'll eat anymore. I've tried everything on the menu."

"Sure!"

He electronically placed the order, and soon someone would bring out drinks, then the food. In the meantime, Ila-sain'ja wanted to get to know this new male. First thing was first, "So, the elder didn't mention your name..."

"I am Eca'diddis. And I was told your nickname was Ila-sain'ja...but I'm curious, what is your birth name?"

"Svetlana."

His mouth opened slightly and his mandibles twitched, but he didn't end up saying anything. He merely nodded instead.

She giggled lightly, "I haven't met a yautja yet that can pronounce it like I do."

"I can imagine."

She noticed the glyphs carved into some of the metal beads in his hair, "You trained under an Ancient?"

"Yes, most of my life. I wouldn't have become a veteran hunter without his guidance."

"And you've been to the forbidden planet? It's supposed to have the most hostile environment yautjas have discovered."

His claws tenderly touched the bead in his hair, "You recognized that symbol? I'm impressed."

A male yautja came over and set down their drinks. Ila-sain'ja said a quick," Thank you." However, the waiter tensed and splayed his mandibles at her.

She considered saying something to the male, but cautiously sipped her drink instead. When the waiter left, she returned her attention to Eca'diddis, "And you belong to this clan. I was hoping to find a mate from this clan."

"Yes, well on the subject of mates, I was wondering how you felt about a poly relationship? I'm aware you want a lifemate, but that doesn't have to mean monogamy."

"Um, I don't know..."

"You see, I already have one lifemate-I haven't mated with anyone but her for many cycles. She is really into politics though, and she often has to leave on short notice. I'd like to find a second mate to care for."

Ila-sain'ja took another sip of her drink, thinking about it.

After a second Eca'diddis continued, "I can assure you, you won't be treated as a spare even when my mate is around. I've retired from hunting and now teach youngbloods, so I'll have plenty of time to spend with each of you. What do you say?"

"...I'm not sure..."

A part of her found what he was saying to be really sweet, but the other part knew she'd be jealous. She wanted a male to her own, to dote on only her. Ila-sain'ja had been told monogamy it was a stupid ooman concept, but she had been raised by yautjas and yet she still only wanted one partner. When she had many males interested in her, she always picked a favorite male instead of just hanging out with all of them like most yautja females. Sure, she could be a little promiscuous at times, but the idea of a poly relationship just didn't thrill her.

When she started to shake her head, he interrupted her, "I will have you meet my mate first before you make a decision."

"Alright." She didn't see any harm in that.

The male waiter that had brought them their drinks walked towards the table with a tray of food then. Before he reached them though, a female waiter snatched the plates from him. A growl bubbled up from the females throat as she stood beside the table. The male came up behind her, splaying his mandibles at Ila-sain'ja again.

Ila-sain'ja let out a tense sigh, "Is there a problem?"

The female set both plates in front of Eca'diddis instead of serving Ila-sain'ja, "You should be eating at the feet of a veteran hunter ooman."

Ila-sain'ja sprang up from her seat, trying to get right in the females face even though she was a good three foot shorter then the female, "I have passed my chiva and am a citizen of this clan as much as you are. As well, I am currently considering this veteran hunter for a mate, so you better back off."

The female let out another threatening growl, "I'd knock you on your ass if I wasn't at work."

Eca'diddis spoke up, "Maybe we should eat elsewhere?"

"Absolutely not." Ila-sain'ja grabbed one of the plates from in front of him and immediately began eating.

The two waiters still didn't leave, so Ila-sain'ja grabbed a bite off Eca'diddis's plate and shoved it in her mouth. All three of them were growling at her now, like a pack of wolves. Her heart began to pick up speed, ready for the female to make the first move. Instead, she was disappointed.

Eca'diddis spoke up again, "Both of you leave and fetch us a different waiter. We'll be taking this to go."

They weren't going to argue with a veteran hunter, and swiftly left to carry out his order. Ila-sain'ja was disappointed that Eca'diddis wouldn't even stand up for her. He didn't have to fight her battles for her, but leaving the restaurant just felt like defeat. She was equal to any blooded yautja. It wasn't fair.

She wiped her mouth with a scowl, and declared, "I'm going to the bathroom."

She didn't wait for his approval before getting up and stomping off. She used the facility quickly, not wanting to keep him waiting. When she stepped out of the door though, she almost ran into someone. She wobbled off balance for a second, her face coming close to short black spines. It was Eca'diddis.

"Um, did you follow me to the bathroom?"

"Yes."

"Ok...Did you think I was going to skip out on you?"

"Maybe. You did not seem happy."

"Mph, well I wouldn't ditch you like that. I see you have our food packed, so where are we eating?"

"My room. We can eat in peace and then wait for my lifemate to come home and meet you."

"Alright. Sounds good."

He was right about them being able to eat in peace. Back at the restaurant she'd stuffed bites in her mouth without even tasting what she was ingesting. Now, she could relax and enjoy it. He'd ordered them both some sort of meat pudding, which sounded strange but it actually tasted really good. Then just for her, he'd ordered some sort of fruit-battered truffles, that were like a desert.

He definitely had good taste in food, but while she had been curious to learn more about him, he didn't seem to have the same attitude. He didn't ask her any questions. He didn't comment when she gave details about her life. After they were both finished eating, it seemed like they might start a staring contest. So, Ila-sain'ja began to wander.

She admired the skulls on the walls like any other female would, and he leisurely followed a few feet behind her. One skull peeked her interest. She'd got good at identifying different species from their skulls, but this one had her stumped. It had a very round dome but with projections on the sides like a hammerhead shark. It didn't have small individual teeth, but instead had long rows of bone like it's teeth were fused together. At the top of the rows of teeth were jagged, sharp points.

"Krekk, what species-er, I'm sorry..." She stumbled over her words as she watched his whole body tense, "Eca'diddis, what species is this?"

His mandibles splayed out and his hands clenched into fists at his sides, "I have worked hard to earn my title as veteran, I will not be confused with any other male."

"I'm sorry, Krekk was my last date...I guess my mind is still on him? I didn't mean to mix up the names."

"I don't take disrespect lightly, and forgetting my name is an ultimate insult. I think you should leave."

Ila-sain'ja slowly blinked at him, her mouth hanging open. She thought he might be kidding, but then he marched to the front door and held it open for her. She couldn't believe him. Ila-sain'ja got over the initial shock though, and her features pulled into a deep scowl. She walked out of his room and didn't look back.

She was pissed. Ila-sain'ja rapidly sprinted through the corridors, practically hissing at every yautja she passed. She only grew more frustrated as she realized that she didn't know the way back to her room from where she was. After a few more random turns, she finally contacted Sobek and asked him to come find her. It took him longer then she'd expected to get her, and that put her in an even worse mood-only because she'd probably pulled him away from an important meeting.

Sobek matched her pace easily, his long legs allowing him to take fewer steps, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

They continued in silence for a while. Her room was all the way at the other side of the clan ship though, and her anger couldn't last. She finally slowed her pace, and let her shoulders drop. No one said finding a lifemate was going to be easy. However, being rejected simply because she'd accidentally said the wrong name just irked her.

"Even if that male contacts you with an apology, I don't want anything to do with him. When is my next date?"

"Actually, this male arrived early. He's already waiting for you back at your room."

Ila-sain'ja let out a reluctant groan.

"He is eager to meet you. He is a bit eccentric, but you must give him a chance."

She nodded in agreement, but was worried how eccentric this male would turn out to be. If Sobek didn't start selecting better males, she'd have to start picking them out herself. If Sobek suggested that she give this male a chance though, she would. Who knows, maybe eccentric was just what she needed in a mate.


	8. Chapter 8

A male was leaning beside her bedroom door, patiently waiting for her. He was taller and sort of skinny for a yautja, with muddied yellow skin. His claws were long and he had bold triangle patterns on his forehead. As soon as he spotted them, he abruptly stood up straight then eagerly walked over to meet them in the hall. He seemed perfectly normal at first-He politely greeted Sobek with a curt nod. But then he encroached on her, getting uncomfortably close. The male had very piercing red eyes.

As his stare grew more intense, Ila-sain'ja leaned away, "Um, hi."

He drew in deep breaths, scenting the air around her before declaring, "You smell real good."

"Hmm, thanks. My name is Ila-sain'ja, and you are?"

His eyes were still glued to her body, "You can call me Tor'd...May I examine you?"

She raised one eyebrow, "Sure?"

His hands went straight for her breasts. Ila-sain'ja sucked in a sharp breath as he squeezed her. Before she could protest, his big hands moved on to other parts of her body. She would have shoved him away, but his touching didn't seem sexual, but simply out of pure curiosity instead. When he lifted her arm to peek at her armpit though, she gave Sobek a worried glance.

Sobek stood there calmly and didn't bother to intervene though.

Once Tor'd was finally finished with a physical examination of her, he said, "I'd love to take you to my place and run some tests, map out your chromosomes, or derive your exact age from the cells in your eyes."

Ila-sain'ja swallowed nervously, "No thanks?"

Tor'd reached forward to grab her waist, but she quickly backed away. He crouched and moved towards her like he planned on throwing her over his shoulder and kidnaping her anyway. Ila-sain'ja inched closer to Sobek like a shy child, hoping he'd help. Tor'd grabbed her wrist next to pull her down the hall. Ila-sain'ja looked to Sobek for help, but he just remained where he was, looking quite amused with her predicament. She drug her feet, but Tor'd firmly tugged her behind him all the way to his ship, and into a medical room.

It was crowded with strange equipment-from sterilizers, infusion pumps, monitors, medical lights, microscopes, and more. The only thing missing from the room was a pair of Tesla coils. It looked like an evil surgery lab to her, something Frankenstein could have been born in. She kept her arms folded behind her back and casually examined a few things, pretending to know what the stuff was, and pretending to be interested as well.

He started adjusting a scanner, "Oomans bleed once a month, right?"

She didn't know where he was going with the question, so she said a hesitant, "Yes."

"That has to be bothersome! If you were going to be my mate, I'd have to insist on fixing that. I'm experienced in minor surgery, and experimental alterations like that. Will you let me run a few tests?"

"Actually, can I use the bathroom?"

"I'm not boring you am I? Here, look at this! I helped improve this invention."

He picked up a thin spray can, and handed to her. She turned it over and began reading the label when his claws suddenly wracked down her arm. She bit her tongue, trying not to shriek and show she was in any pain. The cuts were deep. Blood ran down her arm. Ila-sain'ja grit her teeth and smashed the can into his forehead.

"Don't be mad; I was merely giving a demonstration. Spray it on your wound."

"No, I'm good."

He stole the can from her and sprayed it on her arm. There was a slight burning sensation as the wound healed. It was like the healing salve, just in a spray version. She was almost impressed.

Ila-sain'ja was still upset though, "Next time, demonstrate on yourself."

He continued to show off all his interesting little gadgets, and she wanted to speed up the date, "I thought you said we were going to your place?"

"This is my place. I live on my ship, and keep it docked onto the clan ship when I'm not hunting. There isn't much space, so if you're going to be my mate, you won't be able to bring much with you...Have you mated with our kind before?"

"I have."

"What was it like?"

Ila-sain'ja shook her head, "Where is your bathroom?" She really did have to pee, and she wanted to wash the blood off her arm from his demonstration.

"Too personal? Well, can I at least get a sample of your bone marrow?"

That just sounded painful, "Listen, I've got a slight headache right now. Why don't we do it another day? I'll let you take samples of whatever you want then."

"I can get rid of your headache!"

She started to inch towards the door, "That's ok."

"It will only take a minute."

Tor'd lifted her up by the waist and set her down on a cold medical table. She crossed her arms as he set a small case next to her. She had to admit she was curious though as Tor'd began placing little suction cups on her forehead. She hadn't been lying when she said she had a headache and she wondered if his weird little gadget would actually work. As soon as he pressed a button on the remote, a strong electric shock ran through her body.

She quickly hugged her legs together, but not before she peed just a little. She had been holding it in, and then the electricity had been such surprise. In a normal situation, she would have come up with an excuse to go home, so she could change her underwear. Yautjas had a very keen sense of smell though. Tor'd was giving her an odd look, and she knew he knew.

"I'm really sorry, I have to go."

Ila-sain'ja jumped down from the table and swiftly left his ship. The hallways near the small individual ships was nearly empty, but she stopped in her tracks when she reached a crowded hallway. A female yautja closest to her scrunched her mandibles up, like Ila-sain'ja smelled bad. She crept back, and contacted Sobek. She didn't know the way back to her room, and she didn't want to wander, smelling like urine.

When Sobek arrived, if he noticed the smell, he didn't say anything. He just stood in the hall until she followed him back. With Sobek, no one seemed to notice her scent as much. They were too busy getting out of his way. He confidently walked straight down the middle of the hallway, until they reached her door.

"Will you be taking a nap in the middle of the day?"

"No, I probably won't be able to sleep anyway."

"I'll schedule a meeting with another male then if you're up for it."

Ila-sain'ja nodded, then quickly slipped inside her room and shut the door.

Sobek was just leaving when he ran into her next date. He hadn't intended to greet the male at all. They had gone hunting together in the past, but Sobek was not interested in keeping friends any more. When he saw how the male was dressed though, he felt the need to intervene. The male had on tattered shorts and old sandals.

As the male attempted to pass him, Sobek firmly placed a hand on his shoulder, "Even though this is an informal meeting, you are under the ooman's scrutiny, and not the other way around. Go put on something more proper, or don't come back."

The male backed up with his head slightly bowed and left without a word.

Ila-sain'ja was already dressed and waiting around when she got a transmission from Sobek saying that her date was running a little late. She didn't mind. She laid in bed with a yawn and went over some foreign language vocabulary on a tablet. But before long, there was a beep at her door. She put the tablet away but hesitated before answering. She'd only gone on a few dates so far, but they were draining away her confidence.

Ila-sain'ja was greeted by a short, stocky male. He had slightly bigger tusks than usual, and he even had spikes around his forehead. He was dressed nice, and had clean white vertebrae in his hair.

"Hello."

He shifted his balance like he was nervous, and grunted.

"I'm Ila-sain'ja."

He just kind of stared at her for a moment, then said, "You're prettier than I thought you'd be."

"Thank you, and what's your name?"

"Dumuzid." He started backing down the hall then, "I was told that I should feed you."

"Yea we can go to dinner if you want."

He turned away from her and she followed him to the cafeteria. She didn't bother ordering anything new to be made, as that would just make the date take longer. She grabbed a tray, picked out a few things from the line up, and sat down. Dumuzid joined her a moment later, sitting next to her rather than in front of her on the bench. He immediately began digging in, and it made Ila-sain'ja nauseous.

He had some sort of gooey animal fetus on his tray. And on top of that, he didn't have any dining manners. He didn't use utensils or bother to cut it up. He just picked up the pink rubbery thing and started gnawing on its limbs. Ila-sain'ja pushed around her food with the utensil, having suddenly lost her appetite.

When bits of food started to fall in his lap, Ila-sain'ja was disgusted, but she tried to be somewhat polite. She cleared her throat, "Would you mind eating a little neater?"

His mandibles sagged as he looked down at the food in his lap, "I'm sorry."

He brushed the food from his lap onto the floor, and picked up on of the utensils. Ila-sain'ja took a few bites from her plate, but then was distracted again by his eating habits. He acted like he'd never used utensils in his life. He stabbed a chunk of meat but before he could get it in his mouth, it slid off. He tried again and again, looking ridiculous. Eventually he grabbed two utensils and was able to successfully lift a piece up to his mouth cavity.

Even with the utensils, he still made a mess. When they were both done eating, she had to inform him, "You have a bit of food stuck in your teeth."

He turned his back to her as he picked his teeth with his nails. When he turned back to her, all she could think was that he should wash his hands after having them in his mouth. At least it really did seem like he was trying to be polite.

Dumuzid seemed to know he was failing though, "Are you really considering me for a mate?"

"I am."

"But aren't you worried I might crush you during sex? And oomans do that mouth touching stuff, and I don't know how to do that."

"I'm not as delicate as I look, and anything you don't know about oomans, I can teach."

"You can teach me how to kiss you right?"

"Yes."

"Can we try that now?"

A smile crept to her lips. Something about him was just inherently sweet, "Ok. You're just going to lean in with your mandibles spread-don't scratch my cheeks. Keep your mouth relaxed, and I'll do the rest."

As soon as he scooted closer, his hand hit her drink, and it spilled into her lap, "Shit!"

Dumuzid jumped up, almost falling out of the bench, and retrieved a towel. She soaked up the water on the table, then started wringing out her dress. Her date slowly started to inch away. She supposed a yautja female would have lashed out at him, or ordered him away for it. Ila-sain'ja really didn't mind that much. It was just water after all.

"Where are you going? Sit back down."

He hesitated, but then plopped back down on the bench beside her with his head down.

"You can try to kiss me again."

He hesitated, but then turned more to face her. As he brought his mouth closer though, she got a whiff of bad breath, and placed her hands on his chest to stop him, "Maybe we'll try that later instead."

"Was I doing it wrong already?"

"No. Your breath was just a little...strong."

Dumuzid got up and grabbed a drink from the bar. It had a strong smell like alcohol. He started swishing it in his mouth and licking his teeth, trying to get rid of the food smell. When he leaned in again though, Ila-sain'ja backed up.

Her stomach did a flip, "I think you may have made it worse."

"Sorry...What do we do now?"

"We can go back to my room to talk, or we can walk around the ship. Or, I wouldn't mind seeing your trophy collection?"

"Yes, I'll show my skulls."

It was a long boring ride from the clan ship to his house, and Ila-sain'ja was yawning the whole way. As soon he reached to open the door, he froze, "I didn't think the date would get this far...I haven't had any mates in such a long time. My house is a mess, and I don't want to disappoint you."

"Oh, I don't mind."

"Would you wait outside while I cleaned up?"

"Um, sure, yeah."

Dumuzid barely opened the door and slipped inside, not giving her even the slightest peek inside. It really must have been a mess like he said. She let out a loud yawn and sat down in the big chair on his porch. It was still light out, and would be for some time, but she couldn't always last a whole yautja day without a nap. Dumuzid took so long, she fell asleep.

It was probably a bad idea to let herself fall asleep alone outside in a neighborhood she wasn't familiar with. When she felt someone touching her, her eyes sprang open. Her hand went to her dagger, and her leg lifted, ready to crotch-kick whoever it was. She relaxed immediately. It was just Dumuzid.

"I wasn't going to touch your breasts...I was just trying to pick you up to take you back home."

Obviously he was thinking about touching her breasts if he felt the need to mention them. Ila-sain'ja blinked and stretched out her arms, "Sobek has your information, so I can get a hold of you later."

Dumuzid nodded, and led the way back to the clan ship. She was getting the hang of the layout finally, and made it back to her room on her own. She didn't know if she'd really contact him for another date or not. At the moment, she didn't care. Ila-sain'ja lifted the dress over her head, then fell into bed.


	9. Chapter 9

Sobek let himself into her room after hearing a commotion through the wall. Some of her stuff was on the floor and she stood in her bra and underwear. He almost backed out of the room, having caught her in an indecent state. However, something about her movements had him suspicious. She was sluggish, and off-balance.

He was in charged of her health, so he grabbed his mask from his hip and situated it over his face. It seemed that the chemicals in her brain that were supposed to keep her paralyzed during sleep were too low. She was sleepwalking. It was a condition he'd heard of, but never encountered. The ooman had nosebleeds and sleepwalked, suggesting poor breeding from her parents, which was a shame.

Sobek came up behind her and steered her towards the bed, but she babbled that she couldn't find, "Tula gingerbread."

He assumed it was something from Earth, something she might have had as a child in Russia. She surely wasn't going to find any here in her room. He tried to get her back in bed, but she rolled off the other side and continued searching the room. Her date would be there soon anyway, so he decided to wake her.

He debated his options for a second, then began to roar, slowly gaining volume so he didn't rupture her ear drums. Ila-sain'ja went wide-eyed, and whipped out a knife out from her bra. She swiveled around, aiming the blade at his stomach. Though Sobek was caught off guard by the fact that she slept with weapons on her, he was still faster.

He firmly caught her wrist, "That's the third time you've tried to attack me and failed. You need more training."

She quickly wiped the confusion off her face from waking up standing-It wasn't the first time it had happened. Memories came flooding back to her, "I hit you once real good, when I was a child. Do you remember that?"

"I do remember. You were strong for such a starved little thing. You made my teeth clang together...I find your skills lacking now though."

Ila-sain'ja pulled her brows together, "You always catch me off guard...and I told you I need time to spar in between dates."

"You have no time for a lesson now. A male will be picking you up in about a half hour. I've never enjoyed his company, so don't hesitate to contact me if something goes wrong."

"If you don't like him, then I don't want to meet him."

He sounded like a stern father, "I've already set up the meeting, and you won't cancel. Being a matchmaker is not my most important mission, and I hope to get it done with quickly."

Ila-sain'ja finally noticed that she was in her underwear in front of him, and tried not to feel embarrassed. "Fine, well at least tell me how to dress? For a restaurant, a rock climb, or?"

"Dressy but informal. I believe he's taking you to a club he runs on the planet he owns."

Ila-sain'ja started going through her clothes, "He owns a planet?"

"A small, barren one."

She held up the yautja equivalent of a club dress. There were tears in the cloth across her sides, and the front barely covered her chest. "Do you think this is pretty enough?"

Sobek sat down with a sigh, "You are too concerned with your looks. Even if you had windswept hair and a lizard pelt around your midsection you'd still be strikingly beautiful."

She beamed at his comment, but pulled out a few pairs of shoes to try and match with the dress anyway.

Before she could even ask, Sobek said, "The second pair from the left. I like those."

Ila-sain'ja didn't question him. She put away the other shoes, and Sobek left to let her get dressed. She showered, got ready, and her date was right on time. She'd never been to a yautja club, but it sounded like fun. She bounced to the door, eager to meet the next male.

He was very tall, close to eight and a half foot tall. His skin was light green, with dark green mottling. He wore lots of leather: gloves, belt, a harness around his chest, boots, and leather jewelry as well. He was handsome for a yautja. He didn't have too many spikes, his skin was less scaly, and his tusks were smaller.

"Hello, beautiful."

"Hi! My name is Ila-sain'ja."

"I'm Shagal. Are you ready to go?"

"Yep."

The planet he owned was close to yaut prime. It was more of a dwarf planet, and it was barren as Sobek had said. Ila-sain'ja stood in front of the observation window of his ship with her mouth open. It looked like a frozen comet. The planet was an ice ball, with huge spikes reaching out on one side.

Snow was rushing over the window as they started to land. She couldn't see five feet in front of the ship. It was a complete blizzard out there. Shagal motioned for her to follow him. In front of the door, a section of the floor flipped over, revealing a yautja version of a snow mobile.

He hopped on, and revved the engine, "Let's go."

She was skeptical, but straddled the seat anyway. She wrapped her arms around his solid torso, and he revved the engine again. She was worried about frostbite and visibility, but he had that covered. A blue forcefield formed around the snowmobile, and a navigational screen popped up in front of him. As soon as the door opened, he hit the gas and they shot down the ship's ramp and into the blizzard.

It was only a short ride to the club. They entered a clear tube connected to the building, and a hatch sealed behind them. He parked the snowmobile next to all the other vehicles, and led her inside. For being so barron outside, the club was absolutely packed. The music was loud, and she had to squeeze in between all the bodies just to reach a table.

Ila-sain'ja was really impressed with the decor though. It looked like they were inside an iceberg, and yet the temperature was warm. A river ran around the perimeter of the main room, and the reflection of the moving water projected onto the ceiling. She bobbed her head with the music, thinking a date was actually going to go well for a change.

She leaned over the table since the music was so loud, "So why do want a lifemate?"

The first glitch was that she didn't have the acute hearing that yautjas did. Shagal's mouth moved, but she couldn't hear him.

She leaned closer, "Can you speak up?"

Shagal held up his hand, pausing the conversation. His head swiveled to a lithe yautja female in a thong and no top. She made eye contact with him for a moment, but then turned away. He watched her until she was swallowed by the crowd.

Shagal made sure to speak louder then, "Do you want something to drink?"

"Anything nonalcoholic."

"Are you kidding me? That's all we serve here! I'll bring you something watered down so it won't burn your throat."

He got up and left before she could protest. She thought he'd bring her a drink, but instead, a waitress set a cup down in front of her a few minutes later. Ila-sain'ja stretched up in her seat, trying to find Shagal. She spotted him on the open dance floor in between two females. Ila-sain'ja wasn't easily jealous, but she was easily annoyed. She wanted to talk, get to know him, and he wasn't participating.

When he finally made it back to her, he put a hand on her back and leaned down, "I have to go. I ran into an old friend I haven't seen in ages. Feel free to order a drink, or food, it's all free."

Ila-sain'ja tried not to be disappointed. There were plenty of other males at the club. She left her drink on the table and approached the open floor. That was an immediate disaster. A male stepped on her toes, and she slugged him for it.

She thought she'd started a fight, but the male just grunted and stared down at her. He had a drink in his hand, and she figured he was intoxicated. She wiggled her toes, pain still shooting through them. She really didn't want to start a fight anyway. She slipped through the crowd, trying to pick out potential males.

When she found a nice looking male, she tried to introduce herself, "Hello, my name is Ila-sain'ja."

He didn't even look at her, "The bathrooms are over there."

"Oh, that's not what I..." Her sentence trailed off as the male turned and walked away.

She tried for a few more minutes, before giving in and contacting Sobek. He was in a court proceeding at the moment. Since it wasn't an emergency then, he said it would take some time to reach her. Food was free, so Ila-sain'ja sat back down and ordered something.

Sobek took longer than she thought. The club slowly started to empty, until she was completely by herself. The waitress returned to inform her that there was a massive storm coming. That's why everyone had left early. It seemed like she might have to spend the night in the club, but then she heard her name called out.

Ila-sain'ja jumped down from the seat and sprinted for the door, where Sobek was waiting for her. He had the ship parked right at the end of the tube, but even that split second of cold wind as she ran up the ramp was horrid. She rubbed away the goosebumps and followed Sobek to the control room. As soon as hail began to hit the observation window, the lights dimmed and the ship went quiet.

"Tell me we're not having engine trouble."

"No, but there is an ice storm outside. Keeping the deflectors up, the engine running, as well the heat and everything else uses power. I do not like wasting resources. It is smarter to wait out the storm."

"So we're just going to stand here in the dark?"

"Yes."

Sobek sat down and Ila-sain'ja stood there awkwardly. On his ship, she wasn't sure what to do to occupy her time. It was dark, and the ship was quickly losing its heat. She was bored and uncomfortable, so she sat cross-legged on the floor in front of his feet.

"I got ditched by Shagal."

He let out a deep hum, "I am not surprised. He was never good company."

"These males you are picking out are terrible. Don't you know any available elders? You're so much more respectful and calm."

"I know of none that have the time for a lifemate."

It was cold enough now she could see her breath, "Why did you want me to give Tor'd a chance? I couldn't stand him from the start. All he wanted to do was experiment on me!"

"He is a good male. He's never done anything to make me question his honor. Any male you pair with will not be used to mating only one female. They may change their mind in the long run. Tor'd has always been loyal though. If he came to care for you, he wouldn't ever walk away as the cycles went by."

Ila-sain'ja felt bad for thinking down on Tor'd. Sobek made him sound like a great guy. He knew him better than she did though. One measly date did not necessarily reveal one's true personality. She didn't feel a connection with him though. Plus she was embarrassed.

"I can't have a second date with him after I peed myself."

"How exactly did that come to happen anyway?"

"He zapped me with a device that was supposed to get rid of my headache and..." She shrugged her shoulders.

Sobek laced his fingers together and nodded, holding back any sign of amusement.

Her mind went to Dumuzid then. He had been sloppy and yet cute in a way. A second date with him wouldn't be too bad. She could hardly think about males when her fingers were going numb from the cold though. Ila-sain'ja wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to shake.

"Can't you turn up the heat a little?"

"Even as a child, you were keen on wasting resources. You used both the sanitizer and the soap to wash your hands, and used too much of it as well."

Ila-sain'ja chuckled, remembering how he had yelled at her for it too. At the time, she hadn't had a clue what he was mad about. Sobek was exactly the same as she remembered him from a child-still a grumpy tight-ass. As soon as she arrived at Ylluna's house though, she was yelled at for the same exact reason.

"I usually don't involve myself in others personal matters, but the way you acted as a child suggested that you were touched inappropriately. Were you?"

Ila-sain'ja rubbed the back of her neck, "I don't remember much before the day I meet you. Ylluna said it's odd, because I was nearly nine when you found me. I should remember my parents, but I don't. Being raped would have been a traumatic event, something I'd surely remember, but I don't...Your son had a horrible time dressing me every morning, that I remember. I always freaked out, so something must have happened I guess."

"It is odd you have such little memory, especially since when you were sleepwalking you went on about 'Tula gingerbread'. That is something from Earth, isn't it?"

"Yea. Maybe I repressed the memories? I really don't know." Her nose was starting to run from the cold air. Ila-sain'ja sniffled, and then took the opportunity to change the subject, "Do you have a fur blanket or something I can borrow? I'm freezing!"

"You will live."

"Aren't you cold? What if your muscle get so cold that you can't move?" Ila-sain'ja placed the back of her hand on his leg, worried about him.

"Leave me be."

As soon as she touched him, she jerked her hand back, "You bastard! Your skin is warm! I'm freezing my ass off and you're sitting there all toasty!"

Sobek crossed his arms in front of his chest.

She knew that yautjas were practically cold-blooded, until they were aroused and their body began to make its own heat. "What are you thinking about? Porn? A hot mate of yours?"

Sobek remained silent and stoic.

"Come on, you can act all decent and proper, but I know you were thinking about something dirty! Tell me!"

His claws gripped the armrests of his chair, "You will drop this conversation immediately!"

Ila-sain'ja shrank back, having been reprimanded. She knew immediately that she had crossed a line. She was acting her age, being playful, and teasing him. She knew it wasn't how anyone wanted her to act.

Ila-sain'ja bowed her head, "I'm sorry Elder Sobek. It won't happen again."

She slowly turned away from him to watch the observation window. The storm was still raging outside, and she couldn't even see the club building, though she knew it was only a few feet away. Occasionally, a huge chunk of hail shattered on the glass outside. She sat there quietly, watching the storm, and didn't complain about the cold.


	10. Chapter 10

Sobek sent her a message informing her when the next date was arriving. She had maybe an hour to herself. Ila-sain'ja had little hope that the date would go well. She didn't want to go to a club, a restaurant, or go rock climbing. Ila-sain'ja went ahead and ate lunch, and didn't dress up like usual.

As soon as she opened the door, she tried not to frown. The male was in a kilt, which didn't exactly turn her on. It was black, and covered in studded leather strips at least. She knew she was being pessimistic, but in her opinion, he had too many beads in his hair too. The gold bands were all scrunched close together. His skin was black and yellow, which was very striking though.

He was the first to speak up, "Hello Ila-sain'ja. I'm here because I was told you were looking for a mate."

"A lifemate, yes. What's your name?"

"Bakri. I was wondering if you wanted to join me at the shooting range?"

"Even though that sounds nice, I've already been drug all over the place for other dates that didn't work out. I'd rather we just sat in here and talked first."

"Fair enough."

She let him inside, and he sat down in the comfy gel chair in the corner, where Sobek usual sat.

Ila-sain'ja sat on the edge of the bed, "So tell me, why do you think you want a life mate?"

"I hate to admit my age is starting to get to me. The older I get, the stronger sense of family I feel. I've tried to spend time with my son's and daughters, but they are grown and want nothing to do with me. I didn't raise them; we are connected by blood only. Having lifemate would allow me to raise a pup."

Ila-sain'ja nodded, satisfied with his answer.

But then he added, "Ooman pups are going to be vastly different though, and I'm not sure I'm ready to settle down just yet."

Her heart sank, "Why did you come then?"

"When Sobek asked if I was interested in a lifemate, and an ooman no less, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet you."

She was glad she didn't waste time at the shooting range, "Well you've met me, so now what?"

"Sobek told me few details about you, and I want to know more. Why did you have a chiva? The trial is only required for yautjas, and only the males for that matter."

"Ylluna didn't raise me like a pet. She raised me like a daughter, and all of her daughters participated in a chiva. Ylluna used to hunt in her youth, and she said it important for a female to know how to survive, hunt, and defend herself."

"She sounds like a very proficient bearer. How did your chiva go?"

"Bad."

"But you passed. What happened?"

"I thought I was ready, but as soon as all those xenomorphs were released, I freaked. Yautja males who were taller and stronger then I, we're getting slaughtered right in front of my eyes. The xenos were bigger and faster up close. I hung back, just trying to stay alive. I figured I'd wait, train some more, then take a different chiva in another cycle or two. I wasn't going to hunt a xeno."

Bakri leaned forward, seeming genuinely interested in the story.

"One of Ylluna's daughters was participating in the same chiva with me. A xeno drove it's tail through her thigh, and then slammed her against a wall. As soon as I saw it happen, I jumped to action. It was going to finish her off, but then I plunged my cinquedea into its spine. It saved her life, and I passed my chiva."

"That was very brave of you...I apologize for being so forward, but I'd like to kiss you, if that's ok?"

Ila-sain'ja shook her head. He wasn't ready for a lifemate, and so she knew that she shouldn't get involved.

He rose from his chair and stood over her, "You are so beautiful, but I will not touch without your consent."

She chewed on her bottom lip, debating it.

"Not many yautja females like the intimacy of a kiss, so I will understand if you refuse me."

She'd been ready to kiss Dumuzid, so why not Bakri? A little kiss wasn't going to hurt anything, "Ok."

His chest rumbled, "You are willing?"

A smile tugged at her lips, "Yes."

Bakri was not clumsy like the other male had been. She could tell he liked to kiss, and he was good at it. His hand swept her red hair out of her face first, before settling on her cheek. As he bent down, his other hand slid behind her back. His body pressed against hers as their mouths touched. His mandibles moved over lips, being gentle, yet forceful.

His arm tightened around her back, and his chest vibrated with a lusty rumble. She felt out of breath when his mouth moved away, but he wasn't done yet. His claws slid over her scalp and grabbed a handful of her hair. She felt his hot breath on her neck before his teeth nibbled at her skin. He didn't purr or release musk to entice her, and yet her body couldn't resist.

Her heart sped up, and her sex bloomed with heat. Her hands jumped up, and fumbled with the buckle keeping his kilt on. He purred then, a natural reaction when a female's hands were so close to his package. Yautja females could get aggressive with excitement. However, the lulling sound only made it harder for Ila-sain'ja to undo his clothes.

She let out a nervous giggle as Bakri took over, and undid the two buckles on the side. His kilt dropped to a pile at his ankles. His cock was already swollen and erect. Her stomach lurched with a sudden jolt of arousal. Ila-sain'ja stripped off her clothes in a hurry, and molded her body against his, feeling those hard muscles against her bare flesh.

His skin was hot to the touch, and as if she wasn't turned on enough, he started releasing a potent musk. A feeling started in the pit of her stomach, forming into a blatant need to be filled. She craved it, needed it. His big hands slid up her body, giving her chills. They stopped at her breasts, his thumbs running over them to make them harden. She drew in a sharp breath as he bent down and took a nipple into his mouth.

Her sex tingled and pulsed with want. He lightly nibbled at her tender flesh, making her stomach muscles quiver. As his tongue swirled around the hard buds, the heat between her legs transitioned into wetness. As if sensing her readiness, Bakri suddenly turned her around so her back was to him. He nudged her legs further apart, and then forced her to bend her over.

"Have you been mated before?"

Ila-sain'ja twisted around to glare at him, "Yes!" She didn't want to be treated like an inexperienced child.

His hands grabbed ahold of her hips, "Ok, just checking. Didn't know if I should go easy on you."

She shuddered as his cock invaded her from behind. He stretched her walls, and filled her up completely. Ila-sain'ja let out a throaty moan, and braced her hands on her legs for some support. He withdrew the full length of him, just to thrust back in again. The build up started slow, but it wasn't long before he started crudely humping at her like an animal. It felt so good she could hardly breathe.

When he suddenly pulled out and grabbed her legs, she was confused at first, "Ahh, what are you doing?"

Her hauled her legs up around his waist so that her palms rested on the floor. He fed his cock back into her tight, wet channel and continued with his vigorous pace. All the blood went rushing to her head, making her slightly dizzy, but it felt too good to complain. Her arms were weak and shaking before she finally hit her breaking point. Her walls contracted around his shaft as her release swept through her.

He did a few more jerky thrusts as his seed dispersed inside her, before slowly lowering her legs down. Ila-sain'ja was still light headed from being held upside down, and grabbed onto the bed for guidance as she stood. Bakri fastened the kilt around his waist, then tenderly combed his claws through her hair once before he turned and left. Ila-sain'ja fell backwards into the bed with her arms out, feeling satisfied.

When he received a message from Bakri, thanking him for the introduction, he knew their date was over. Since yautja days were like two earth days long, he had to feed the ooman around six times a day, which really interfered with his schedule. He put his hand on her door, ready to escort her to the cafeteria when the smell hit him. It was a strong mating musk, mixed with the oomans scent. Even though he knew the ooman was fertile all cycle long, it was not a mating season, and he was caught off guard.

The scent pulled at his baser needs, and told him that she had been mated by an older male. Sobek's body begged him to replace the other male's seed with his own, because he was alfa on the clan ship. Sobek had first pick of the best females. Still, he was easily jealous and enjoyed stealing other males mates simply because he could. Someone else had mated the ooman, and that made him want her too.

Sobek gave himself a moment to rein in his control before he made a mistake. The ooman was not a worthy enough female to carry his offspring. His body slowly relaxed as he got used to the scent. He was glad at least she had found a lifemate before the upcoming mating season. That would have really taken some restraint on his part.

He tried not to even look at her, and focused on the dull colored pelts on the bed, "Congratulations on finding a mate Ila-sain'ja."

She set down the tablet she was reading, "Not a lifemate."

"If you can mate him once, then you can mate him for the rest of your life. An ooman should not be so choosy. It's not about personality, it's about breeding-their strengths, their accomplishments. Bakri is level-headed, stable, and a very proficient hunter."

"It wasn't my fault, it's the male's you've been picking out. He said he wasn't ready for a lifemate yet."

"That's unfortunate. Did he feed you lunch?"

"No but I ate before he arrived."

He knew very well that she wasn't a child anymore, yet he didn't like her wandering around without supervision, "I will escort you to the kehrite for training. Then, it will be time for your diner."

"You don't have to take me, I'm getting used to the hallways."

Ever since she'd initiated a challenge to the death, he didn't trust her, "I'll escort you."

She was starting to believe Sobek really didn't think she could defend herself-and she knew just how to impress him. While she was at it, maybe she'd impress a few young males too. Ila-sain'ja put on her armor. Ylluna had order the set made for her last birthday. It was small delicate pieces since it wasn't likely she'd actually be in a serious hunt. The metal was inscribed with various symbols, like her name, her families name, her clan, her chiva location, and more.

Sobek led the way to the kherite, which was filled with young, blooded hunters. Ila-sain'ja had trained with Ylluna's older sons, and they were on their way to become great hunters. She knew she could kick ass, she just wanted to prove that to Sobek. She picked out an empty mat. As she started stretching, potential opponents started to surround her.

Ila-sain'ja turned to grab a weapon off the wall, but Sobek spoke up immediately, "No weapons."

He was worried she'd get hurt, and that pissed her off. Especially since she knew was actually better off with weapons. She didn't have the brute strength that they did. Sobek's word was final though. She didn't even bother arguing with him.

"Who has the highest rank?"

She wanted to impress Sobek, but fighting the best male first was also a tactile move. She would have the most energy the first fight. All the males would underestimate her ability until they actually saw her in action, and she didn't want the best fighter to be ready for her. A tall, ripped male in red shorts stepped forward. He wasn't an elite or anything and she was sure she could take him.

Ila-sain'ja took her stance, "I fight honorably-no cheap shots, no eye jabs, no groin kicks, or hair pulling. Got it?"

"Yes."

He casually stepped onto the mat, not bothering to take a fighting stance, raise his fists, or anything. He was not intimidated by her. She would have to change that. When he charged, she threw an explosive side kick, keeping him at a safe distance. He threw a right hook, but she easily dodged that assault.

She grabbed his wrist then, did a leg sweep, and used her body weight to throw him onto the mat. When he flipped to his stomach to get up, she scrambled to wrap her arm around his ankle. She quickly stood up, and bent his foot away from her body, putting the joint under pressure. It was the most painful hold she knew how to perform, and it was a difficult hold to break.

"Do you submit?"

His hands balled into fists and his chest pulsed with a low growl.

She twisted his ankle a little, increasing the pain, "Submit!"

"No!"

Ila-sain'ja pushed his foot further away from her, threatening to break his ankle. She didn't want to do it. Ylluna's sons had always tapped out at this point. This wasn't just siblings playing around though. The male's reputation was at stake. He did not want to submit to an ooman.

Ila-sain'ja couldn't just release him, as that would make her seem weak. She had to be able to follow though. She slowly applied more pressure, trying to give him time to tap out. Instead she started to hear sickening pops and she finally dropped her hold. The bones in his ankle were likely fractured.

He stood up, bracing the wall for balance and hobbled off the mat, looking less then happy. She wondered if she'd make enemies this way, rather than meet any potential mates. The other males weren't deterred though. They crowded her, puffing up their chests, and sizing her up.

She picked out the shortest male then, knowing their tall height would give them an advantage over her. He was a bit more apprehensive about facing her then the last male, but he still didn't look worried. He threw a series of quick punches, and she could not evade all of them. Her stomach lurched violently, and she was glad she hadn't eaten anything before training.

She let herself drop to her side on the mat, pretending to be more wounded than she actually was. The male stayed on guard for a moment, before dropping his hands to his sides. She quickly spun on her hip and her calf forcefully hit his Achilles tendon, making him fall to the mat. He immediately tried to get back up, and she had to jump on his back while he was still on his knees. She wrapped her arms under his, then laced her fingers together behind his neck.

The tighter she held him, the more it cranked his head forward and put pressure on his spine. It was another painful hold that was nearly impossible to escape. With this one though, if he didn't submit, she could snap his neck. She already knew she wouldn't kill him, so she hoped he would tap out.


	11. Chapter 11

He tried to raise his hands up to pry her off him. Then he tried to lean back and crush her with his weight, but it didn't work. After a while, his foot tapped the mat loudly, but she wouldn't just release him in case it was a trick. She let off some of the pressure to allow him to speak.

"Do you submit?"

He let out a hoarse, "Yes."

She dropped her hold immediately, and stood up, looking at Sobek to see if he was watching. He always looked grumpy and impatient, and not the least bit impressed. The male was a sore looser though. He stood up and slugged her in the face when she wasn't even paying attention. Pain hit her like a bolt of lightning before her nose started to drip blood onto the mat.

Sobek stormed forward, and the male's eyes went wide before he quickly back pedaled and dropped to ass. He turned his face away too, clearly showing that he didn't want to fight. It was similar to how dogs rolled onto their backs to show submission. He was putting himself in a vulnerable position by sitting and not facing Sobek.

The young male pouted, "I didn't hit her that hard."

"Striking an opponent once the fight is over is more disgraceful than loosing! I know your bearer-I suggest you go tell her what you did, before I do."

"Yes Elder." The male scrambled up and left the kherite.

Her nose hurt and she had blood smeared all over hand from trying not to get it on the mat. Still, she could help but be happy that she wasn't the only one that got scolded by Sobek. It was too bad the females normally raised pups alone, because she could see Sobek being a good father. Since her nose was still bleeding profusely though, so training was over.

The medical room was right next door to the kherite for good reasons. Her first opponent was in there, still getting his ankle healed. He splayed his mandibles out to the sides aggressively. Ila-sain'ja bent over the sink and started washing off the blood. There was a doctor on duty, but it wasn't necessary. The young male really hadn't hit her that hard-her nose wasn't even broken.

One of the males from the kehrite had followed her into the medical room. As soon as her nose finally stopped bleeding, he tried to approach her. Sobek let out a quiet growl, making sure he maintained a proper distance. She was injured and still smelled like mating musk, making Sobek feel like he needed to guard her.

The male stopped moving, but otherwise acted like Sobek wasn't there, "I've never seen someone so little inflict pain so easily. You didn't even have to throw one punch! What's your name?"

"Ila-sain'ja."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Usaym."

Sobek spoke up, "I don't think I've heard of you."

"I don't normally stay on the clan ship; I was just visiting a colleague on board." He addressed the ooman again, "Before I leave though, I'd like to get to know you."

She slowly straightened up from the sink, taken off guard. She hadn't managed to impress Sobek, but at least this male seemed interested. He was around seven foot tall, with light brown skin, and vibrant green eyes. He wore a big belt buckle with a xeno surrounded by hieroglyphs stamped into it. He was younger then her other dates though, and worried what he wouldn't want to settle down yet.

"Since I know most yautjas aren't monogamous, I might as well tell you right away: I'm looking for a lifemate."

"Are you serious?"

Ila-sain'ja nodded, figuring just from the tone of his voice that he wasn't into it. When he didn't say anything right away, she started to leave.

He jumped in front of her path, "Hey, I'm still interested."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

The males Sobek was setting her up with just weren't working out, and she hoped this was her chance to meet someone different, "I was going to head to the cafeteria if you'd like to join me?"

"Absolutely."

Sobek didn't want her hanging out with a male he didn't know, "I will be escorting her to the cafeteria."

Sobek would monitor the date and make things awkward, "No that's ok, you can go."

"I am in charge of your safety."

"You are a great body guard, but I can defend myself-You saw that, Usaym saw that. Plus we're just going to get something to eat, in public. We're not even leaving the ship."

Sobek didn't look thrilled, but he let her walk out of the medical room with Usaym.

Right away, she knew something was up, "Isn't the cafeteria the other way?"

"I don't enjoy the bland cafeteria food. I always order take out."

"But I told Sobek we'd be at the cafeteria."

"So? You're safe with me babe."

She didn't want Sobek to think she was a liar. Ila-sain'ja found herself stepping in his room anyway, despite some slight hesitation.

As soon as the door closed, his hands grabbed her hips, "I'm glad I was able to get you away from that elder so I can you how much your body is driving me crazy!"

Ila-sain'ja cracked a smile, but shoved his hands off, "Behave."

He scooped her up, threw her onto the bed, then crawled over her like a jungle cat, "As soon as I smelled you, I knew I had to have you."

"Come on, let me up."

"No."

"I'm serious! Get off!" Before she could knee him, he reluctantly lifted off her.

He grabbed her wrists and hauled her upright on the bed, "You make me so horny, I can't help it. I won't be able to make it until the next mating season with you around."

"Are you really interested in a lifemate or just a quick fuck?"

"Both?"

Ila-sain'ja arched a brow, then stood up and headed for the door.

"Hey I'm sorry, let's order some food." He handed her a tablet with a menu brought up on the screen, "Here, get anything you want sweetie."

Usaym stared at her until the food arrived. Then as she ate, he sat and groped her. One of her hands were busy holding the plate while the other held the utensil, so she couldn't always slap him away. His amorous behavior was amusing and flattering at first.

He started to lift up her shirt and she just couldn't get in the mood though, "It's getting late. I should go."

He started to purr, "You're not going anywhere honey."

She set the plate beside her and shoved his hands away, "Stop playing."

"Come on, you won't have to do a thing. Just lie back and enjoy it."

He was finally starting to make her uncomfortable, "Usaym, no."

He caught her throat in his hand and violently pinned her back to the bed, "Don't tell me 'no' bitch! Are you implying I'm not good enough to breed an ooman? I can smell the mating musk on you, someone already fucked your tight little hole!"

Ila-sain'ja quickly swept her arm to the side, shoving his hand off the front of her neck. Then she brought her elbow back to jam it into his face. She made a dash for the door, but he wrestled her to the ground, and she heard her shirt rip in the process. She knew the exact maneuver she needed to do to get him off her back. And as soon as she was up, she was going to inflict as much pain on him as possible.

His weight bore down on her back, and his hand pressed to the side of her face, keeping her head down. She stared at the hard tiles, feeling a wave of nausea hit her. Her heart began to pound in her ears, and she could feel the blood crashing through her veins. She had to do something, and yet her body wouldn't cooperate. She felt limp. She felt helpless.

He lowered his mouth to her ear, "On my last hunt I went to Earth and raped a pretty little ooman like yourself. She had the softest cunt I've ever felt."

Ila-sain'ja still couldn't move, couldn't fight. Her head felt dizzy and her vision started to blur. He straddled her body, and began dry humping her slowly. She swallowed hard, feeling like she wasn't getting enough air all of the sudden. She swept her hands in front of her, and her fingers were shaking so badly she could hardly hit the buttons on her wrist device.

As soon as she hit the button to call Sobek, he canceled the call and took off the metal bracelet. Ila-sain'ja let out a choked sob, her throat so tight she could hardly breathe. Her body was hit with a sudden flash of heat that had her burning up. A bead of sweat ran down her face, and her hands were clammy. She tried to scream, but she felt so choked that no words came out.

His wrist device barely bleeped, but Sobek still looked down. The ooman had started to call him, but then had hung up. He could have easily assumed it was a mistake and brushed it off. Instead, Sobek checked her room and found it empty. He tried to call her back, but she didn't answer. He quickly hacked into her location, seeing that she wasn't at the cafeteria, and found the male's room.

Before she even heard the knock on the door, Usaym lept off her. He tried to gather her up and set her in a chair, but she was shaking so bad, it was impossible. He left her on the floor before Sobek came barging in. All of the doors unlocked to the elders presence. His eyes zeroed in on Ila-sain'ja, then the male.

"What have you done to her?"

"Whoa!" Usaym started to back away, "I didn't do anything! She must have been allergic to something she ate; she just started freaking out!"

Sobek put his mask on and knelt beside her. She was on her back, hyperventilating, and her whole body was trembling. Her heart was racing dangerously fast. As far as he could tell though, nothing was wrong with her.

"Did you drug her?"

"No! I swear to Paya, I did not drug her!"

Sobek didn't have time to analyze whether or not the male was lying. He lifted Ila-sain'ja into his arms and ran to the medical room. Of course, now that there was a emergency, a doctor was not on duty. He laid her down on the table and hit the button on the wall which would alert a doctor. Ila-sain'ja tried to sit up, but he placed a hand on her chest to force her to lie back.

She struggled to catch her break and croaked, "I'm fine."

"No your not."

Her eyes started to spill over with tears, "Please, just take me to my room. I'm ok."

"I'm not going to let you up until a doctor thoroughly examines you."

Just after he said that, a yautja came skidding into the room, "What's the emergency?"

"I'm fine."

"Hyperventilating, rapid pulse, muscle spasms, and slurred speech. I couldn't find any cause for it."

Ila-sain'ja was steadily beginning to calm down, and let the doctor run all the tests he wanted. In the end, he said what she already knew, "She seemed to have suffered a physiological episode of some kind. It's nothing I can cure."

Ila-sain'ja sat up, and hopped off the table, "I told you I was fine."

Sobek grabbed her arm, "Run more tests; check for drugs in her system. Her heart rate was out of control before you arrived. That cannot be physiological."

Ila-sain'ja tried to rip her arm from his grip, "It was a panic attack, ok? I've had them before."

He wouldn't let go of her arm just yet, "Explain."

"When I was younger, I was claustrophobic and afraid of heights. When Ylluna tried to get me over the fear, I had a panic attacks. When they were really bad, and I wasn't allowed to calm down, sometimes I'd even pass out. Certain fears can still trigger them, but for the most part Ylluna helped me gain control over it. I can usually prevent the anxiety from affecting me."

"What triggered it this time?"

Ila-sain'ja's mouth hung open, but she wouldn't say it.

Sobek wasn't ignorant. Her shirt was torn. Her wrist device was missing. On top of the earlier musk that penetrated her skin, there was a hint of Usaym's musk on her now as well. He knew exactly what had happened to trigger such an extreme fear.

Sobek wouldn't tolerate that sort of behavior in his clan. He swept himself out of the room, and he could hear Ila-sain'ja padding behind him. He went back to the male's room, not bothering to knock this time. Usaym immediately cowered, but when Sobek didn't stop his advance, the male lept over the bed to evade him.

"You're going to believe that ooman? I didn't touch her!"

He tried to bolt out the door, but Sobek grabbed a hold of his dreds and yanked him to the ground with them. Ila-sain'ja went wide eyed then as Sobek proceeded to drag the young male out of his room by his sensitive hair. As the male kicked and tried to get free, Sobek's nails dug into the fleshy strands. The male howled in pain like a dying animal before he finally passed out.

Ila-sain'ja ran to her room and laid in bed with her arms around her head. As a result of all the stress, she felt drained. Her mouth was dry and her hands felt tingly. She wanted nothing more than to fall asleep, but she couldn't. She waited until she heard Sobek next door, and then she got up and slipped into his room.

He still had bright green blood on his claws as be handed back her wrist device, "I should not have let you leave with that male when I did not know his background. I misled you by trusting you alone with the other males for your dates. I knew them, and trusted them with you."

"Can I sleep in your room?"

He would never even allow a pup to sleep in his room, as it would only indulge their irrational fear. However, he found himself making an exception for the ooman, "Tonight only."


	12. Chapter 12

Sobek kept to his word, and she only slept in his room for the one night. He continued setting up dates for her, but none of the males really made an impression on her. She was really trying though. She had second dates with a few of the males even, but she just couldn't help that she wasn't interested in any of them.

After a few weeks, Sobek stood in the middle of her room and said, "Pack up your things."

She immediately grabbed her bag and started to comply, but asked, "What's going on?"

"I'm taking you off the clan ship for the mating season. You'll stay at my private residence by yourself for the duration of it, and then we'll continue to set up dates after that."

"No, I want to stay here with you."

"You will do as I say."

"Please Sobek, I want to stay for the mating season."

The clan ship would be packed with pushy, rowdy males and he worried about her panic attacks. On the home planet, mating seasons went over smoother. Confined in close quarters on a huge clan ship was going to be more hectic than a college spring break. As well, Sobek still participated in the mating season, and his focus would not be on her safety. She wanted a lifemate, and Sobek didn't want to look after a knocked up ooman. It made no sense for her to stay on the clan vessel.

"The mating season is short. You can continue your search for a lifemate after it is over."

Ila-sain'ja put her hands on her hips, "I'm staying. I'm not going to let any male intimidate me, or scare me like that again."

"As noble as that is, I already made one mistake regarding your safety, and I don't intend to do it again."

She had her reservations about defying an elder, but said, "I'm staying."

Sobek stared her down for a moment before declaring, "You're old enough to make your own mistakes. Call Ylluna and inform her of your decision though. I won't have this be be my fault."

Ila-sain'ja nodded and Sobek turned to leave, but the paused at the door, "I'm going to apologize now for any future altercations between us, any advances I may make towards you, and anything I do that may seem inappropriate in your eyes."

Ila-sain'ja scoffed. Sobek was the most under-control yautja she knew; she couldn't imagine him doing anything that might upset her like the young male had. Before she could respond though, he swept him out the door. She shut the drawers and put away her bag, but wondered if staying wasn't such a good idea.

She'd never been around so many yautjas before she'd stepped on board the clan ship. Ylluna's neighborhood was in a calm and quiet suburb, and Ila-sain'ja hadn't gone into the big city very often. Still, she wanted to be able to face anything, and have absolutely no fear. She'd stick it out and stay for the mating season. It couldn't be that bad.

She noticed right away that she had a stalker. He was young, and about the same height as her-six foot. He had his dreds tied in a knot behind him, making some of the strands stand straight up above his head. He waited down the hall from her room, and followed her every where she went. It was normal for males to follow around a yautja female before the breeding season. That way they were close by when she ovulated and finally accepted a mate.

Even so, Ila-sain'ja kept a knife on her at all times and when Sobek insisted on escorting he to the cafeteria, she didn't argue. The elder chuffed and growled at the young male, but he still followed. Her stalker sat down a few feet away, where he had a clean line of sight to watch her. Before she'd finished eating, the young male started to approach. Sobek's growl echoed in the room, but he bravely kept moving forward.

She rested her hand on her knife handle even though she knew Sobek would move faster then she would if something happened. The male bent forward and set something down on the table. His eyes kept flickering to the elder, seeming worried about his presence. He scooted the object closer to her with his finger.

It was normal for males to give females gifts in an attempt to woo them. Ila-sain'ja reluctantly picked up the object. It appeared to be a mummified animal toe. It certainty was the strangest gift she'd ever been given, but she was flattered all the same. The male still stood there though, like he was waiting for her to say something.

"Thank you, but I'm only interested in finding a lifemate."

The young male seemed shy. He didn't say anything, and moved back to his former spot and continued staring at her.

"That boy has a serious crush on you. Yesterday I caught him pissing on your door, trying to claim you as his."

Her voice came out a surprised squeak, "What? Who does that?"

"You wanted to stay for the mating season. It will only get worse from here on."

The young male was still staring at her. Now that she knew he'd pissed on her door, it was more creepy than sweet. "How do I get rid of him?"

"Act uncaring and cold. Females are good at that."

"I told him I wasn't interested."

"But you still accepted his gift. A yautja female would have crushed the gift, or thrown it back at him. He doesn't believe that you meant what you said."

Ila-sain'ja looked down at the mummified animal toe, "Awe, I couldn't do that. It would break his heart."

Sobek grunted, "You'll never get rid of him then."

With the mating season so close, Sobek had a hard time setting up any dates for her. Ila-sain'ja didn't mind, since she finally had time to herself. She eagerly put on all her armor, and went to the kherite for some sparring practice. There were plenty of males in there as usual. She grabbed a halberd off the wall, which was a spear and battle ax combined.

Because of the mating season, males were starting to grow tense and irritable. They were sexually frustrated. As males started to surround her, she began to pick out a sparring partner. Before she could decide though, one male shoved the other and a fight quickly broke out. Ila-sain'ja stood there for a few minutes, then hung the weapon back on the wall and walked out. They were too busy fighting amongst each other for the right to spar with her, that it actually left her without a sparring partner.

Disappointed, Ila-sain'ja tried to find something else to do. Her stalker followed her to the library. No matter what it was-language, history, biology-she loved reading. There were a few males in the library already though. When she reached for a tablet, one of them grabbed it for her.

She reached for the tablet, "Thank you."

"How about a kiss for it?"

"Uh, no."

He reluctantly handed her the tablet with a grumble, and she sat down with it. He wasn't finished teasing her though. He sat right next to her and started touching her hair. She shot him a glare, but then another male sat on her other side and grabbed her tit. She lept up and whipped out her knife.

She grit her teeth, "Go away."

Both the males hung their head and backed away. They didn't want to fight; they just wanted to pester her. She sat down with the tablet again, but they couldn't help themselves. She was too tempting. When one of the males started playing with her toes through her sandal, she had to leave. She had all this freetime suddenly, and she found herself sitting in her room.

As things progressed though, the females turned out to be worse than the males. A barely dressed female walked through the cafeteria, intentionally trying to get every male's attention. When several of them approached her then, she didn't just pick one. She goaded them into a fight instead, and would take the winner to bed. Ila-sain'ja quickly slipped around the tables past them, and heard one them being slammed to the ground behind her.

Other females were worse than that, allowing several different males to mount them. In the heat of things, bedroom doors were occasionally left open. Matings even occurred in public like the kherite, library, or solarium. Ila-sain'ja was horrified by it all at first. It was like everywhere she tried to go was the set of a porno. She couldn't use the public bathroom without hearing someone getting pounded against a stall door.

But then, she saw Sobek in action. It was a wide, busy hallway and she was just trying to get back to her room. The musk was thick in her lungs, making her sex clench with want, and she immediately knew something was going on. She could easily get past a fight or a mating couple. She slipped through the crowd, not wanting to have to take the long way around.

When she reached the front though, she froze. She immediately recognized his light muted brown skin, with dark purple tinges around the mottled spots. Sobek's shorts had been discarded and were crumpled up against the wall. His cock proudly stood out from his body, twitching upwards, and dripping precum. A lump formed in her throat, but she was ashamed for having seen him.

Ila-sain'ja tried to back up before he saw her there, but a yautja female suddenly went dashing down the hallway past him. A growl ripped through his throat as he charged at her. His claws wrapped around her arm and prevented her from reaching the crowd waiting on the other side. She thrashed and hit him, but he quickly restrained her, and pushed her loincloth aside before penetrating her from behind. He humped her to the ground, and she stopped fighting.

When he was finished, the female got up and left without looking back. There was a crowd on each side of him. Sobek's cock was already starting to shrink some, but he looked around for his next target. Ila-sain'ja quickly realized that he was playing a game. Males could pass by him, but if a female wanted to cross, he would try to catch and fuck them first.

The females were excited by the challenge, and eager to be mated by an elder. Another female made a bolt for the other side, but Sobek was faster. She hissed and snarled, but her struggle only made his cock swell and harden. He pinned her against the wall, lifted one of her legs, and then vigorously began pumping into her.

A tiny female took the opportunity to race across while he was still busy, but Sobek was insatiable. He pulled out of the first female and wrapped his arms around the little female's waist. The first female wasn't happy at being abandoned. She tried to storm off, but Sobek grabbed her too. He wrestled them both to the ground.

Sobek pinned the first female on her back, then positioned the smaller female on all fours over the other girl. He wasn't letting either of them go. Sobek grabbed the female's hips and began drilling into her from behind, huffing and grunting like a wild animal. When he was done with the little female, he rolled her out of the way and finished fucking the other girl.

Ila-sain'ja peered out from behind a yautja in the crowd, trying not to get spotted by Sobek, but wanting to watch at the same time. Some females bolted across the gap in groups to reduce the chance that they'd get caught. On the other hand, some girls raced across, and if they weren't caught, they'd pass by him again. They were trying to get caught. They wanted to be seized, pinned down by his strength, and ravaged.

A group of young girls pushed their way to the front of the crowd. They were giggling and ogling at Sobek like it was their first mating season. Most of the females looked eighteen, nineteen, but one of the girls was younger. She looked barely old enough to breed, fifteen maybe. If their body was ready, no law prohibited sex.

It was actually to some benefit to get pregnant young in yautja society. If you still lived with your bearer for your first pregnancy, you'd have plenty of help and support. If you waited until you were older and moved out, you'd have your first suckling alone, without much aid, because males rarely helped raise offspring. Ila-sain'ja still didn't like the situation though. The female was shorter than her, and timid. She only stepped forward because her friends coaxed her into it.

She barely made it a few feet before she got caught. As Sobek grabbed her, she flinched away from him. He towered over her small form, his cock hard and erect between his legs. Sobek looked at her hungrily, and she didn't try to break free from his grip. Even Ila-sain'ja could tell that the girl was nervous and fearful, and she started to get upset with Sobek.

He didn't bend her over and take her in front of the crowd. Instead, he released her and she immediately went running off like a spooked deer. Sobek stood with his chest puffed out, waiting for another target. A tall, built female came strolling down the hall though, with a pup on her hips. She growled low in her throat and Sobek backed away.

A distracted male didn't move out of the way for her, and that set Sobek off. He grabbed the males shoulders and yanked him to the ground. The female with the pup tipped her head at him in thanks and continued down the hall. Even when his mind was clouded with thoughts of sex, he was still polite and respectful. Something about that made Ila-sain'ja want him.

She suddenly wondered how he'd react if she tried to walk down the hall past him. Would he simply allow her walk around him? Or would he force himself on her? As soon as she took one step forward, his blue and yellow eyes locked with hers. His shaft was gleaming and slick from the females juices. His balls contracted up some and his cock pulsed and hardened further, as though looking at her aroused him.

Ila-sain'ja pushed back against the crowd and turned back the other way. She went the long way around to reach her room. She thought that without the thick musk hanging in the air that her thoughts would clear. Instead, she found that she still wanted him. She wanted Sobek.


	13. Chapter 13

Sobek stayed in the hallway until his muscles were fatigued and he could no longer maintain an erection. Mating seasons were different depending on the hemisphere one lived in. On one side the females were generally monoestrous, with only one breeding season a cycle. The other hemisphere was siestrous and the females went into heat twice every cycle. Sobek was glad he lived on the correct hemisphere, where there were two mating opportunities every cycle. After years of playing games like he had in the hallway every breeding season, he was able to control how fast he could cum. Yautja females tended to get off quickly, and the faster he found release, the more females he could seed.

He went back to his room and took a hot shower. He was proud of the number of females he'd fucked, and hoped they all bore strong sons and fierce daughters. He figured that his libido would be sated for the day. That was, until he heard Ila-sain'ja moving around next door. His thoughts drifted back to her, and his loins swelled with desire.

He was sure the ooman wanted him. Sobek had seen the lust in her eyes. She'd been so close to walking across the hallway-he wished that she would have done it. He knew she didn't want a temporary mate, but Sobek couldn't contain his longing to fuck her little body raw. It was the best time for him to do it, seeing he was wore out already and there'd be less of a chance that he'd get carried away and harm her.

He turned off the water, shook out his hair, and tied a loincloth around his waist. He suddenly wanted her, badly. Sobek stepped out of his room, planning on going to surprise her. Instead, he saw Bakri walking down the hall towards her door, thwarting his plan. He could have fought Bakri over her, but realized it was probably for the best that he was there. A lifemate was what she really desired.

Bakri tilted his head back as he passed Sobek, "You smell like you've already seeded every female on the clan vessel."

Sobek chuffed, "Not yet, but you don't smell like you've bred even one female Bakri."

"Yea, I've turned down all breeding opportunities so far."

Sobek switched his stance and looked at Ila-sain'ja's door, "You're going to be her lifemate then?"

"Yes."

Sobek should have been happy about the news, seeing as he'd been trying to get rid of Ila-sain'ja the entire time. Instead, he just felt angry. He turned and left Bakri there without another word. He needed to find a beautiful yautja female and get Ila-sain'ja off his mind.

Her heart leapt in her throat when she heard the beep at her door. She wanted it to be Sobek. Ila-sain'ja quickly combed through her hair and licked her teeth, making sure they were clean. Then she thrust the door open. It was a tall, sexy yautja-just not the one she was hoping for.

"Bakri?"

"Hello Ila-sain'ja. May I come in?"

"Yea." She stepped aide, still in shock that he was actually there.

"It's the mating season, and I can't stop thinking about you. I'm ready to retire from hunting for the most part, and I'd like you to come live with me. I already told Sobek."

"How did he react?"

"He always seems indifferent to everything. He's never thought of oomans as good mates. But I know you'll be a good bearer, and I want to help you raise our pups."

Her mind went straight to Sobek, "...I need some time to think about it."

Bakri's mandibles sagged downward, "What is there to think about?"

"There's...someone else..."

Bakri held her chin in his claws, "I should have carried you away the second I saw you. It was my indecision, and now I've lost you. Well little ooman, let me know if you ever change your mind."

She felt bad as Bakri turned away and left, but she didn't know what else to say.

Sobek acted like he didn't care what she looked like, but Ila-sain'ja took the time to dress up anyway. If Sobek was going to be her lifemate, the actual mating part would likely come first. She curled her hair, painted her nails, and picked out a short dress. Then, she stood in front of his door. Usually she just barged in, but this time she was too nervous.

Sobek slid the door open but didn't even look at her. He immediately turned away and sat down at a table, as though he was busy. Ila-sain'ja hesitated in the doorway. She held one arm across her body as she stepped inside his room. She didn't understand why she was so anxious all of the sudden, when she had been fine around all the other males.

She cleared her throat, "I came to talk to you."

"I already know you're leaving. I saw Bakri."

"Actually, I turned him down."

He got up from his seat and started approaching her, his libido getting the best of him. He wanted to pin her to the ground, but first he had to ask, "Why?"

"There might be someone else I'm interested in."

He stopped moving, "Like who? Your stalker? I caught him leaning against your door again, trying to listen inside while you were in the shower."

"No! Not him..." She hoped her face wasn't turning red, "You see, I've realized that I was always comparing my dates to you. From the very beginning, when I saw that males banged up trophies, I then wanted to see your collection. I've been looking for a male like you. Well, now I've realized that I just want you."

He stared at her for a second, seeming indecisive before declaring, "I'm not interested."

"You're not interested in me?"

"No."

She was not convinced. A lot of males avoided commitments, but she would make him give in. Ila-sain'ja stepped forward and put her hand on his bare skin. His muscles immediately tensed as she slid her palm up his abs to his chest. The gesture was a blatant invitation for sex.

However, Sobek didn't budge.

She slowly pressed her body against his, inhaling the tea leaf scent on him that she enjoyed so much. She wrapped her arms around his solid torso, feeling the expanse of his muscles. He stood there tense, but that only made his muscles bulge, and seem more defined. Sobek had so much power, and yet she felt completely safe with him. Her body ached for him. She knew he wanted her as well, seeing as there was quite a bulge in his loincloth.

She grabbed his shaft through his clothes, feeling its thick length in her hand, "I think you're interested."

His voice was thick as he spoke, "You want a lifemate. I am trying to respect your wishes."

"Why don't you want a lifemate? I'll let you participate in every breeding season. You can still leave for hunts-I will take care of pups on my own; I looked after Ylluna's."

He shoved her hand off his junk, "You will tell Bakri you changed your mind."

"No, I want you. I will do whatever it takes to convince you to be my lifemate."

"Ila-sain'ja, leave, and never bring this up again."

"Why? You have to at least give me a good reason."

"If I had bred you in the hallway, it would have been looked at as a lapse in my control. To take you as an occasional mate would be seen as a weakness on my part. But to have you as a lifemate would just be shameful."

She put her hands on her hips, "And why is that?"

"You would ruin my bloodline. It is my duty to protect the yautja race, by selective breeding."

"I am younger than most of the blooded males that go to the kherite, and yet I can take them down without a weapon! With more training, and if you help me, I can do more then that. Oomans are not weak, or else you would not hunt them."

He went back to his table and sat down, "This conversation is over. Oomans have too many faults. I prevent all of my offspring from pairing with aliens. If they were to take an ooman mate, and I found out about it, I'd disown them. I'd kick them out of my clan. I will not take an ooman as a lifemate and that is final!"

"That is the most primitive and ignorant thing I've ever heard you say! I thought you were better than that."

"There are good reasons not to take ooman mates. You yourself have insomnia, nose bleeds, and panic attacks. You sleepwalk too, and I believe you have some plant allergies as well. You are simply not good enough to be a lifemate!"

Her hands clenched into tight fists, but her eyes spilled over with tears. Saying that she wasn't good enough was the worst thing anyone could say to her. She'd been told that her entire life. She wasn't good enough, and wouldn't pass her chiva-but she did. Some had said that she wasn't good enough to pass advanced combat training or operate complicated ship controls either, and yet she proved them wrong.

Now, she apparently wasn't good enough to have Sobek's offspring. She wanted to prove Sobek wrong, but deep down, she was afraid he was right. Ila-sain'ja had been pregnant once, but the baby had to be aborted due to defects that couldn't be fixed. After that, anyone who knew she had an abortion refused to mate her. The doctor said it was just a fluke, and likely wouldn't happen again. Still, all yautja life is considered precious, even hybrids. There are no abortions unless absolutely necessary, and even then it is seen as a bad thing.

Sobek obviously didn't believe her pups would live up to his standards. If he knew she'd had an abortion, he would use that as another excuse not to want her. Even Ylluna was worried when Ila-sain'ja got pregnant, seeing that she made her whole family, even daughters, take a chiva. Ila-sain'ja knew that if she could do it though, then so could her pups. However, it was hard to keep believing she could prove them wrong, when everything felt against her. Sobek wasn't even going to give her a chance.

He barely turned his head, trying to look back at her without seeming like he actually cared. She was crying. She made soft, choked noises and her eyes were puffy and red. She wiped her tears away with her hand, but they just kept coming. She wasn't leaving, and he finally felt compelled to intervene.

Sobek calmly got up and walked over to her. She looked as frail and hurt as he'd first seen her as a young child.

Ila-sain'ja put her face in her hands, "Why does everyone just stand and stare at me when I get emotional?"

Yautjas normally didn't comfort each other. Hugs were not common, and that was one thing Ila-sain'ja remembered from Earth, and always wanted. Even children were not overly coddled. Sobek began to purr, but it wasn't enough. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged herself to him whether he liked it or not.

When she ran out of tears, Sobek pried her off him, "I will contact Bakri and tell him to come get you."

"No!"

"Ila-sain'ja, don't be difficult."

"Just tell me honestly, if I was yautja, would you take me as a lifemate?"

"You are not yautja."

"But if I was...?"

He stared down at her brown eyes, and long lashes, and felt a lump in his throat, "I would not hesitate to claim you."

"Tell me something else now: Do you believe it is wrong to take an ooman mate? Or is it your peers, and the other elders, that guide your decision?"

"I have met many oomans that disappointed me. However, I have not met a hybrid yet that didn't live up to my standards...You have to understand though, I am an elder. I am looked up to, and expected to always do the right thing. Taking an ooman lifemate could ruin my reputation. Many yautjas aren't ready to accept oomans as anything but prey or slaves."

Ila-sain'ja let out a heavy sigh, "If you feel that taking an ooman mate is ok, you're doing the wrong thing by not embracing it. You could change things in a good way. Others will follow your example."

Sobek shoved her towards the door, "I will not risk it."

Her heart fell. She allowed him push her out the door, but Ila-sain'ja would not give up. She marched straight to the library. She started searching for any information on significant ooman encounters, or any notable oomans on yaut prime. She would prove to Sobek that oomans could be good mates.

When she didn't find anything immediately, she got frustrated. She needed to searched harder, but some of the tablets were above her head. There were no stools. Yautjas were tall, but the younger ones wouldn't even be able to reach the tablets either. It was just ridiculous.

Ila-sain'ja wasn't about to go looking for a ladder. She started shoving a chair closer to the shelves when she noticed her stalker. He was looking down at a tablet, but it was backwards in his hands. The screen was facing the floor because he was really just watching her.

He was so cute, "Hey, come here."

He glanced up at her and froze.

"Yes, you. Come over here."

He dropped his head and shuffled over to her, as though he was in trouble.

"Can you help me?"

He nodded eagerly.

"I'm looking for any documents on oomans."

He nodded again, but didn't start searching.

Ila-sain'ja rolled her eyes, crawled up on chair, and started looking for what she needed anyway. As soon as the male put her hands on her, she thought to hit him. She wasn't in a playful mood. He hauled her up on his shoulders though, helping her reach the tallest shelf. She picked out any tablets that mentioned her species, and handed them down to him.

He set her down and she immediately started going through the seemingly-infinite amount of files on each tablet. There were some good information on a few of them. She transferred temporary copies of the best records onto one tablet. She'd take that one with her and show Sobek. Before she left, she turned to her stalker.

"What's your name?"

"Mughni."

She couldn't help but teased him a little. She slid her fingers down a strand of his hair, "Thank you."

His eyelids dropped and let out a low hum.

Ila-sain'ja went back to Sobek's room, not bothering to knock this time around. It really was a bad habit. He was in the middle of changing clothes. Ila-sain'ja rose a brow, admiring his ass before he tied a loincloth on. He began to growl, but she plopped down his bed anyway, ready to give him a lecture


	14. Chapter 14

Sobek apparently wasn't in the mood to be preached to. He stomped forward to grab her arm, but she swiftly moved out of the way. He gave her a stern look and tried to grab her again, but she scrambled into the middle of his in-ground circular bed. He slowly bent down to grab her ankle, but she swept her leg away with a grin.

His body was tense and his eyes were boring into her, "I am in no mood to play games."

He hunched some, and she knew immediately that he was going to pounce. She could have stood up and got out of the way in time, but a part of her was thrilled about being tackled. His weight hit her, trapping her on the bed under him. He was growling like he was about to rip her throat out, but Ila-sain'ja wasn't afraid.

She swept her hands over his broad shoulders, "I came to talk to you."

"We already had that conversation. Leave."

Sobek lifted off the bed, pulling her with him. He started to drag her to the door, "Sobek, just hear me out."

"No."

She drug her feet, "Sobek! Come on, just listen for a second!"

"I have an important meeting to prepare for."

"That's all you do. There's always another lengthy meeting and boring court hearing. Can't we just talk for a second?"

He continued getting dressed- switching out the koros beads in his hair, and putting on jewelry, "You have two minutes."

"I'm sure you heard about the event, but you may not know about the ooman involvement. A royal chiva went wrong, and queen xeno was accidentally released. An ooman female helped return the weapons for the chiva, helped a young male yautja escape the pyramid, and even helped kill the queen xeno. An elder honored her with a gift, and let her stay on Earth even though she'd seen so much."

"The young male she aided was likely one of the elders sons, or else the elder would not have been so kind."

Ila-sain'ja pouted, "Perhaps. Or, maybe the elder just recognized how capable oomans could be and was thankful for her help."

Sobek grumbled, not seeming convinced, "That has nothing to do with mates."

She scrolled through the documents, "Well here, what about this one: a young ooman who was about to become prey saved the life of a yautja after a cave in. The yautjas homeostasis netting was damaged, and he would have died if not for her actions. They became mates after that."

"A weak yautja paired with a weak ooman. He should have died for his mistake."

Usually, she enjoyed his grumpy temperament, but now the pessimism was starting to get to her. "Fine...Here's another one-An ooman breastfed a yautja suckling in an emergency situation. The sire was a highly ranked hunter. The-"

"Next."

"Ok, um, this is a good one: During a small clan war, an ooman went to her mates aid. She actually flew into a battle zone and managed to save his life, all the while toting around their newborn suckling."

"The ooman female sounds reckless, and the yautja male was weak if he needed help in the first place."

"Ok...During a hunt in space, an ooman stopped a yautja ship from being stolen. They became mates."

"Your time is up."

Sobek lifted her up, carried her to the door, and set her on her feet in the hallway. Before she could get out another word, he slid the door shut in her face. She heard it lock. Ila-sain'ja leaned her back against the door with a sigh. Her stalker was crouched around the corner, watching.

"Do you know how to pick a lock?"

He nodded.

"Are you serious?"

Her stalker nodded again, but then ran off.

He came back a few minutes later with a small case in hand. She turned and watched as he examined the door, then picked out a tool. He worked quietly so that Sobek wouldn't hear. After a minute, he stepped back and put his tool away. Ila-sain'ja reached out and slid the door open a little.

She kept her voice low, "You little criminal! I love you!"

Ila-sain'ja leaned in and gave the boy a small peck on the cheek before she snuck into Sobek's room. He wasn't in the main bedroom part though. She found the panel on the back wall and checked his trophy room. Then, she checked the bathroom. She let out a giggle when she found him sitting on the toilet.

A low growl bubbled up from his throat.

"Hmm, well now you have to listen."

"Ila-sain'ja..."

"On Earth, a female ooman doctor once aided a wounded male yautja."

"Get out of my room."

"On Earth, a different ooman female drug a wounded yautja male out of the snow."

As soon as Sobek was finished using the facility, he grabbed her and threw her over his shoulder. He carried her back into the hall, and gently set her down. When he shut the door this time, she heard him activate several locks. She let out a sigh and turned to her stalker waiting in the hallway. She pointed to the door, trying to ask if he could pick the lock again.

He must have heard all the clicks too, because he shook his head.

"Do you know where I can get some stationery?"

Mughni led her back to the library, and helped her find paper and a pen. Then they went back to Sobek's door. The light above the door frame was still lit up, indicating that he was inside. She started writing down different cases where oomans had proved their worth. Then, she slipped them under his door.

A few yautjas passed them in the hall and snorted, like they were acting ridiculous. That only made Ila-sain'ja's smile broaden. After a minute, Sobek started shoving them back out. Her stalker helped shove them back in. But then Sobek put something in front of the door and they couldn't slip the pieces of paper under anymore.

Ila-sain'ja sat down in front of his door before getting an idea. She shouted through the door, "Hey can you hear me in there? I bet you can!"

There was silence.

She talked as loud as she could, making sure he could hear her, "A yautja hybrid was turned into an experiment at an ooman facility! When two other yautjas were captured, she broke them out of the facility, along with her sire who was being held in captivity as well! If that's not impressive, I don't know what is!"

Sobek thrust the door open and stepped out, looking less than pleased. "You are acting like a child."

Her smile instantly melted away, "I was just trying to show you that oomans can be good mates. Other yautjas have realized that. Why can't you?"

He pointed at her sternly, "You will continue to meet with males as soon as the breeding season has passed." He turned and pointed at her stalker then, "You, go home."

Mughni swiveled around and immediately high tailed it out of there.

"I am going to a meeting, and will gone for several hours. Stay out of trouble."

She considered sending him messages during the meeting, telling him about more cases, but she didn't want to piss him off any more than he already was. Ila-sain'ja tried to kill time until he was back. She went to the library first, but was quickly bored. She weight room next, but the room was too packed. The kherite was filled with young, horny males without fighting skill, so she didn't stay there long. Closer to the end of the day, she ended up just hanging out in the solarium.

Even though he had to respect her ambition, Ila-sain'ja was getting on his nerves. Sobek half expected her to be outside the conference room waiting to pester him. Tension dropped from his shoulders when he didn't see her. There were no messages on his wrist device either. The tranquil moment didn't last long.

A male went jogging past him and shouted, "That ooman is a badass!"

Sobek followed the ruckus to the solarium, where several hallways met and a huge glass ceiling let in tons of light. The crowd parted out of his way, but Sobek could not intervene. Ila-sain'ja was fighting a another female. She was nearly nine foot tall, with yellow and green skin, and amber eyes. Sobek recognized the female immediately.

She had a fierce temper and had much more training then Ila-sain'ja did. The ooman's nose was already bleeding, as well as her lip. She had a gash above her eye as well. Before Ila-sain'ja could get the female in a lock, the female slipped out of her grip. The female punched the ooman in the jaw and she suddenly collapsed to the floor.

Ila-sain'ja was only on conscious for a few seconds, but then didn't make an attempt to get up. The female turned away with her head held high, grabbed a male that was standing nearby, and walked off with him. The crowd quickly dissipated. Sobek went and stood over the ooman. She licked the cut on her lip and blinked up at him.

Sobek seized her arm and hauled her onto her feet, "I told you to stay out of trouble! Attempting to win fights isn't going to impress me!"

She ripped her arm out of his grip, "I didn't do it for you!"

Sobek looked her over. Her hands were somewhat swollen from throwing punches, "Why were you fighting then?"

"A male seemed interested in her at first, but then he turned to me. The female got angry, and I defended myself."

Sobek didn't believe her, "Females don't fight over mates."

"Yea right."

"Why were you fighting?"

"I told you! You said it yourself, it's your duty to keep the yautja race strong. That's what she was doing too. She was keeping me from a male, preventing 'impurities' in the race."

"Is that what she said? Impurities?"

Ila-sain'ja touched the back of her head and her fingers came back with blood on them, "What do you care anyway? You're just like her."

Ila-sain'ja stormed off to her room. She was mad at him, as well as disappointed in herself. Sobek probably didn't care that she'd managed to last so long against the tall female. He had shown up at the last minute and seen her loose. She applied healing salve to her small wounds and washed off the blood.

He thought Ila-sain'ja was angry at him, until she came into his room at night. He shifted in bed, thinking she was going to ask if she could sleep on his floor. Instead, she completely caught him off guard. Ila-sain'ja crawled into bed with him, placing her head on his arm and her hand on his chest. She closed her eyes like she intended to stay.

His heart began to pound and his skin began to heat, but he said, "What do you think you're doing? Get back to your room."

"I couldn't sleep."

"You are too old to be saying that."

"I know."

She still didn't make any attempt to remove herself from his bed. When Sobek began to move, she sadly figured that he'd pick her up and make her leave. Instead, he turned to his side, facing her and wrapped his arm around her back. A smile crept to her lips, and she slid her leg between his, getting even more comfy. With his body so close and his steady breathing in her ear, she fell asleep almost instantly.

Sometime later, she woke up on her back as she felt a rough hand slip under her shirt. His palm brushed over her nipple, and his thick fingers squeezed her breast. She was always up for spontaneous middle-of-the-night sex. As soon as she turned her head though, he quickly removed his hand. Then a deep, steady purr quickly had her eyelids falling closed.

She was in between stages of consciousness when she felt hands on her body again. She was on her side with her back to him. His warm breath hit the back of her neck, and his hand was down the front of her shorts. She pressed her hips against his fingers and let out a moan when he found the right spot. Unfortunately, his movements froze and he started to purr again.

Ila-sain'ja didn't mind pretending to be asleep if that was what he wanted. She could just lay there and enjoy it, without having to put in any effort. After a minute, when she didn't move, he continued. She kept her features neutral as his finger rubbed in gentle circles over her clit. Her heart was racing, and she hoped he didn't notice.

The thought of taking her in her sleep, against her will, thrilled him in ways it really shouldn't have. He slipped a digit between her soft lips, feeling how wet he'd made her. Sobek scooted closer, pressing his erection between her legs. He pressed his teeth to her shoulder, wanting to bite her, but held back. His body involuntarily began to grind against her even though he knew she was really awake, even though he knew better then to mate an ooman.

Pretending to be asleep was harder than she'd first thought. She had to fight to keep her breathing slow and even, otherwise he'd realize that she was awake and stop. She didn't want him to stop. Sobek slowly began peeling her shorts and underwear down to her legs. She discretely bent one knee, trying to slip out of the fabric, but one leg hole was still around her ankle.

She felt the soft tip of his cock brush against her, and she held her breath, knowing what came next. He slowly eased his thick, throbbing shaft inside her body. Ila-sain'ja had to fight back a reaction. It was difficult not to scrunch her eyes closed or dig her fingers into the bed. His hand went back to her breasts, gently rolling them in his fingers.

He slowly withdrew his entire length, before sliding it all back into her tight channel. She had to stifle a pleasured moan. His hand swept down her body and his fingers found her warm center again. He applied a gentle pressure to the little pearl as he steadily fed his cock in and out of her passage. The tortuously slow movements had her close to bursting.

Ila-sain'ja couldn't hold back a hungry moan. She hoped he thought she was just dreaming. Either way, Sobek didn't stop. He actually began to pick up his pace. Still staying on her side, she tucked her knees up, allowing him to penetrate deeper. Her toes curled and her mouth hung open as a blissful wave of pleasure engulfed her.


	15. Chapter 15

She woke up in the morning, feeling like the other night could have been a dream. Sobek wasn't in bed, and he had been so incredibly gentle, she didn't feel sore. She shifted in bed to watch him. He was sitting at the table polishing his jewelry, weapons, and armor. She figured that he'd pretend that sex didn't happen, so she wasn't going to bring it up.

As soon as she headed for the the door, he spoke up, "Get back here."

Ila-sain'ja didn't move as Sobek rose from the chair and approached her, trying not to smile.

Instead of giving her a kiss before she left like she wanted, he handed her a bottle of soap and said, "You can use my shower."

"No, I'll use mine. That way I can change clothes."

Sobek grabbed a folded pile of clean clothes from a drawer and handed them to her. They were her clothes. He must have snuck off to her room when she was asleep and retrieved them. Ila-sain'ja wanted to believe he was being sweet. In reality, she knew exactly what he was doing and why.

Sobek nudged her towards the bathroom door. He didn't want others to smell his mating musk on her. That was why he handed her scented soap to use even though the shower water was antibacterial. That was why he insisted she use his shower instead of stepping out into the hallway to go to her own room. She considered skipping the shower, but if she did in fact ruin his reputation or get him kicked off the council, he'd never forgive her.

Ila-sain'ja took a long, hot shower, and used plenty of the fragrant soap. Usually bathing wouldn't fully get rid of the smell though, so she wasn't surprised when she found breakfast waiting for her on the table. That way, she wouldn't have to leave the room right away. The more time passed, the more the scent faded. You'd think she'd be happy about having him bring her a meal. Under the circumstances though, Ila-sain'ja wasn't really thrilled about it.

After she finished eating, she asked, "Can I leave now?"

"Why wouldn't you be able to?"

Ila-sain'ja shot him a glare.

Sobek averted his eyes with a huff, "You may go anywhere you like."

If he was going to play games, so would she. It was still mating season, and she wanted to keep him from other females, "I want to go to the kherite, will you come with me?"

He hesitated, and she thought he was going to decline. Instead, he tenderly combed his claws through her red hair and said, "Yes."

Ila-sain'ja jumped up from her seat, "Get ready for a beating, because I'm going to kick your ass!"

He tipped his head back arrogantly, but a low purr came from his chest.

There was always at least a few yautjas in the kherite, and since it was the breeding season, they swarmed her more then usual. As soon as Sobek stepped onto the mat though, they walked away, sulking. She immediately tried to grapple him to the ground, where she'd have more leverage. His body tensed like stone though, and it was impossible for her to force his arms behind him into a lock. He leaned forward when she tried to grab his leg, shifting his center of balance so that it was impossible for her to haul his leg up and make him fall.

Her punches did absolutely nothing, and even when she used her weight to try and pull him to the ground, he didn't waver. She had one more idea. Ila-sain'ja got a running start into a drop kick. The soles of her feet hit him hard in the stomach, but he hardly took a step back. She hit the mat, breathing heavily.

Without a weapon, she was an insubstantial opponent to him. Sobek just wanted to prove that, and then he actually started to participate. He dropped to the mat and Ila-sain'ja quickly tried to scramble to her feet. He wrestled her onto her back, straddled her, and pinned her arms down. With his weight and his strength, she couldn't manage to get him off.

He let her struggle for a minute, and then he asked, "Do you submit?"

She panted, "No!"

Sobek thrust his hand around her neck, "Submit!"

"Never!"

His hand tightened around her throat, cutting off her air. Her heart began to race. She pried at his fingers and kicked, trying to get free. Her face was quickly turning red and her lungs began to burn. It felt like pressure was building in her chest. When he finally lifted his hand, she took in desperate gulps of air and blinked away the stars floating in her vision.

"Submit!"

She shook her head.

Instead of choking her again, he tried a completely different tactic. He pinned her arms down again, then firmly pressed his crotch between her legs. He lowered his head to her skin, and bit down on the top of her breast. Her back arched off the mat as she sucked in a surprised breath.

He lifted his head to stare down at the indent he'd left in her skin, "Will you submit?"

"Absolutely."

Sobek lifted off her before the other males in the room noticed what he was doing. Pinning and biting were normal tactics to force an opponent's submission, but anyone who was watching closely would know Sobek wasn't just wrestling. Ila-sain'ja hopped up and immediately began to try and grapple him to the ground again. Having her hands on him, her body pressed close, and listening to her struggle to move him had his libido raging.

Sobek threw her to the ground, flipped her onto her stomach, and then used his weight to pin her down. He quickly scanned the room to make sure everyone else was busy and he wasn't being watched. Then, he slowly ground his crotch against her ass. When she started to moan, he cuffed his hand over her mouth with a growl.

He slowly took his hand away, "Do you submit?"

She let out a breathless, "Yes."

As soon as Sobek let up, she tried to twist around and elbow him in the chest. It didn't work. He caught her arm and quickly forced her back to the mat. She stayed on her hands and knees, thinking it would give her room to escape. With his body pressed against her back and his strong arms propped beside her though, she suddenly didn't want to escape.

She reached up to grab a handful of his fleshy dreds, "Let's go back to my room."

She immediately knew she'd said it too loud, and a few heads turned their way. Sobek let out a snarl and smacked her hand off his hair. Then he stormed out of the room, leaving her behind. Ila-sain'ja plopped down on her ass with a sigh.

Sobek was older, and stuck in his ways. However, the young males in the kherite were more than ready to take his place. One male had a hold of his crotch through his pants, another had his fingers in his sensitive hair. They swarmed her, and she had to slip past them without touching their skin. Otherwise, they'd take it an an invitation to touch back, and she suddenly wasn't in the mood.

When she saw Sobek next, several hours had passed. She was heading back to her room and he was just leaving. He was dressed nice. He had on a newer-looking loincloth, handmade jewelry, and his dreds looked oiled and smooth.

"Where are you going?"

"I just planned on walking around the ship."

Ila-sain'ja knew what that meant. Just walking around implied that he was also going to look for females to fuck along the way. She was used to the yautja culture, but she wanted Sobek all to herself anyway. She knew how to keep him close. He was supposed to keep her safe, so she picked a place that was the opposite.

She acted like it was no big deal, "Ok. I'm going to take a pod to the home planet, and do some shopping in the big clan market."

Sobek stopped in the hallway and looked down at her as though he knew the reason she was going. She almost thought he'd forbid her from leaving-not that that would stop her. Instead, he let out a low grumble and said, "I will escort you."

She didn't expect him to hold her hand or anything, but as they walked through the market, he hardly acknowledged her. He followed behind her like a body guard, and didn't say much. Even when she asked his opinion on things, he just grunted. She wanted the same interaction as in the kherite.

Ila-sain'ja debated between a knife and an armor attachment. The armor was a strand of metal vertebrae spines that would run down the middle of her back. The pocket knife had four blades that unfolded from one handle. It would be like getting stabbed four times at once. Ila-sain'ja loved her knives, and in the end, she chose the quad folding knife. Before she could pay though, Sobek reached over and placed his hand on the scanner, buying it for her.

She slipped the weapon in her pocket with a coy smile, "What was that for?"

"No reason."

He'd bought her a gift. Ila-sain'ja was starting to feel a bit less frustrated with Sobek then, until they stopped for food. There were picnic tables set up in front of the vendor. She tried to sit right beside Sobek, but he blocked her. Apparently, she couldn't even sit next to him in public.

When she started to frown, Sobek attempted to save the situation, "I want to be able to look at you."

Ila-sain'ja wasn't buying it, but she sat down across from him anyway.

After she took a few bites he asked, "When you're finished eating, would you like to join me in my room and finish sparring?"

Ila-sain'ja froze for a moment with her mouth open, about to take another bite. She had been so turned on by their wrestling in the kherite, "Wait, you mean...?"

Sobek raised his eyebrows some, still waiting for an answer.

She just smiled eagerly and nodded.

The food was good, but she started eating in a hurry, wanting to get back to the clan ship. Sobek calmly took bite after bite, as though he hadn't just suggested they go mate afterwards. She almost thought he was eating slow on purpose, just to build the tension, just to torture her. On the way back to the room, he walked slow too. When no one was looking though, he'd grab her ass or combed his claws through her hair.

She was ready to rip his loincloth off as soon as they got in the room, but her plan was ruined. There was an older male waiting at Sobek's door. He had markings carved into his tusks, and thin chains hung around his hips with claws at the ends. He looked like he was probably part of the council or something, so she put some distance between her and Sobek as they walked up.

He politely addressed Sobek first, but then turned to her with a grimace, "Shouldn't you be bowing to your superior?"

She grit her teeth, "I am blooded. Only slaves and pets bow."

He turned away from her without another word, and started talking to Sobek like she wasn't there. Ila-sain'ja moved towards the door then, but Sobek sidestepped to blocked her. He didn't want the male to see Ila-sain'ja entering his room. She pretended to be interested in the conversation for a moment, and then turned and went in her own room instead. After a few minutes of pacing, she considered peeking out the door, but didn't do it.

Sobek sent her a message anyway, saying, "Something came up."

When he didn't return after a few hours, she turned out the lights and crawled in bed. It was only midday, but that was usually when she took a nap. She had a hard time staying asleep though, and heard her bedroom door slide open. A moment later, a hand slide up her leg to her thigh, giving her goosebumps. She suddenly regretted the decision to sleep with clothes on. His hand slid further up her body, to grope one of her breasts through her shirt.

She was almost happy to lay there and let him continue. However, she couldn't help but want more from Sobek. It had been fun the first time, but she didn't want to have to pretend to be asleep, as though they weren't mates. It made her feel like it was a bad thing that she was sleeping with him, and it wasn't. She wanted to kiss him, and explore his muscles.

When she opened her eyes, his hand pulled away.

The room was just barely light enough that she could make out his tall figure looming over her, "Don't stop."

Her heart fluttered when he crawled into the bed over her. His dreds brushed against her cheek as he bent down to kiss her lips. The smell of tea leaves and musk surrounded her, making her body burn for him. Ila-sain'ja rubbed her legs up his muscular thighs, then wrapped them around his hips. For not ever having an ooman mate before, Sobek was a surprisingly good kisser.

As she caught her breath, his mouth trailed down to her neck, making her tingle. His hands gathered her shirt up over her breasts, then he carefully drew one of her nipples into his mouth with the slightest bit of suction. Ila-sain'ja ran her hands up his hard biceps, feeling wetness gather between her legs. He took her shirt all the way off, then slid down her underwear next. Just the feel of her bare skin on the pelts was erotic in itself.

Sobek ran his claws down her inner thighs as he opened her legs to him. He slowly lowered his head and pressed his face between her legs, tasting her center, and drawing in her rich scent. His cock twitched up, engorging with blood. He swirled his tongue around her sensitive pearl, making her moan. When her hips started to rise off the bed, he finally mounted her, and slid his cock deep inside her.

Yautja females generally wanted fast and rough, but with Ila-sain'ja, he could take his time. That was proving to be a bit difficult though. As he thrust into her, Ila-sain'ja clawed at his shoulder with one hand, while the other squeezed a handful of his dreds near the roots. His primitive desire to breed and impregnate took over. Sobek hooked his arms under hers and furiously began to pound away.


	16. Chapter 16

Even weeks after the mating season ended, Sobek didn't setup any dates for her. On one hand, he was making progress. He was actually mating with her without having to pretend she was unconscious, he'd bought her that gift, and he was allowing her to sleep in his bed and stay in his room most of the time. On the other hand however, he still wanted to hide her away, like he was ashamed of her. She had to get rid of the scent after he mated with her, and public affection was strictly forbidden.

There were still clans that forbid mating with oomans, and she was just glad that she belonged to one where it wasn't illegal. Changing Sobek's behavior would be impossible then. Every generation, the younger yautjas were more liberal on their outlook on alien mates. Her hope was that Sobek would gradually warm up to the idea of an ooman lifemate, and realize that not everyone saw it as a bad thing. Ila-sain'ja figured that it was alright to take small steps and start slow at first.

Like all the other females though, after the mating season had passed, Ila-sain'ja felt the need to visit the medical bay. She was supposed to have started her period yesterday. It was only one day late, yet she wanted to check. There were several other females in the room already, getting pregnancy tests.

Yautja females did not have periods, so they didn't have an early indicator if they were with child or not. Since they usually took several mates during the breeding season, it was important to get paternity tests as well. With yautja technology, the paternity tests to determine the father could be performed before the child was even born. Fetal cells are present in maternal blood, thus, both the tests just needed a simple blood draw.

When it was her turn, she walked up to the counter. She swept her hair behind one ear, suddenly nervous, "Hello. Can you order in tests for me, please?"

"Don't need to. When you arrived on the clan ship, the elder had us stock up on different surgical equipment and tests for your species. It was a safety concern. Would you like to take a pregnancy and paternity test now?"

"Yes, please."

The male behind the counter disappeared for a moment, then returned with a device that looked similar to a pen. Ila-sain'ja had taken a pregnancy tests before. She held out her hand out for him, and a tiny needle pricked the end of her finger. It was similar to the blood glucose monitors that diabetics used. It took a sample of blood and the results appeared on a tiny screen along the side of the pen within a few seconds.

"Congratulations, you're pregnant."

Ila-sain'ja slowly lifted her hand to her belly with a smile. She felt this glowing feeling welling up inside her, an instant connection, just by knowing that a baby was growing inside her. She was finally going to be a mother. She loved children and wanted to have as many as Ylluna, if possible. She never got tired of the constant games, or even all the messes.

The male flipped a setting on the pen-like device, "Now, let's see who the sire is."

If it was Sobek's, she couldn't let anyone know, "Oh, actually can I get a home disposable test for that one?"

"No problem." He left and came back with a different pen that had a cap on it.

"Thank you." She was relieved he didn't question why she needed it.

When she went to put her hand on the scanner to pay, he waved her away, "All your medical bills are covered by elder Sobek, and he receives a discount anyway."

"Thank you so much."

As she walked back to her room, she couldn't wipe the huge grin off her face. She was going to have a baby, and she was already dying to know if it would be a boy or girl. Ila-sain'ja sat down on the edge of the bed, and activated the test pen. She'd slept with Bakri first, but begged that the child was Sobek's. She pricked the end of another finger, then watched the tiny screen on the side light up with red letters.

The DNA registered in the system, and displayed Sobek's name. Ila-sain'ja hugged the pen to her chest with a squeal. As soon as she saw the door start to open though, her heart stopped. She stuffed the device under the edge of a pelt as Sobek entered. Obviously if he was mating her, he knew there was the possibility that she'd get pregnant, but she wasn't sure how he'd feel about it.

Siring offspring was important to males, but Sobek wanted to keep their mating under wraps. When her belly grew, there would be suspicions. She knew he was right, and there was a chance he could get kicked out of the council. His reputation as a wise and restrained leader would be tarnished. Ila-sain'ja didn't want Sobek to send her away to have the baby.

Her facial expression must have looked worried, because Sobek asked, "Is everything alright?"

She lowered her shoulders, trying to appear more relaxed, "Yea, of course."

Sobek was not convinced. He slowly walked around the bed, his chest making low rumbles, trying to determine her current mood.

Ila-sain'ja picked at her nails for a second, then handed him the test pen.

He recognized it as a paternity test immediately, and it had his name on the screen. "No one knows about this, right?"

She shook her head, "That's why I took the test here, alone."

Instead of being upset, Sobek lifted her off the bed and held her against his chest, "I guess we have a lot to do. We'll have to set up a nursery at my residence in the jungle. We'll have to get you some maternity clothes, a crib..."

Ila-sain'ja looped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly. She loved the fact what he was saying 'we' and not just her. It was a small detail that made her heart flutter. The extra support and involvement was one major reason she wanted a lifemate. She knew Sobek didn't like children, but once he held the little baby in his arms, she was sure that would change. He would love being a father, and actually raising a suckling. She wanted Sobek with her every step of the way.

"You'll leave the clan ship with me right?"

"I will have many meetings to attend, but I will make the trip back to the jungle residence every time, to be with you."

"Will you be there in the room with me when I have the baby?"

Sobek tenderly stroked her back, but said, "Birthing is a female's business that no male should have to see."

She squeezed him tighter, "Please!"

"I will be right outside the door when the time comes."

Ila-sain'ja sighed, but didn't pursue the subject any further. She still had several months to change his mind before the baby was ready to arrive.

Things were going well, until she was at the store with Sobek. She was caught up in the baby outfits, and other cute but unnecessary items, when she recognized the yautja female next to her. She was about nine foot tall, with brown and orange striping down her legs. Just like the day they'd met, the female still wore two sets of wrist blades, one on each arm.

It had been a while since she'd seen her, but immediately realized it was the female she'd challenged to a death match. The female got closer, and reached over Ila-sain'ja's head to grab something. She didn't want to start a fight, but she didn't want to have to leave the aisle either. She tried to ignore the female. Ila-sain'ja hung two items on Sobek's fingers and stepped back, trying to decide between them.

The female suddenly spoke up, "Pick the one on the left. The material doesn't rub as much, and it puke just wipes right off!"

Ila-sain'ja was the only ooman in the entire can vessel, and the female would not have forgotten their little argument. After a few good fucks, and knowing they had a child on the way, yautja females tended to be much more passive and friendly. Still, Ila-sain'ja tilted her head, surprised the woman was being so nice. She'd challenged the female to fight to the death, and she was acting as if they were buddies now.

When Ila-sain'ja followed her advice and kept the one on the left, the female spoke up again, "Is it going to be your first?"

"Yes."

"How exciting! I'm having my fifth."

"Congratulations! I can't wait until I have that many!" Ila-sain'ja leaned against Sobek's side. It really wasn't what she'd consider public affection, but it still got her in trouble.

"Is he the sire?"

Sobek jerked away from Ila-sain'ja with a low growl, and immediately stormed off.

"...I guess that means no. Please convey my apologies for offending the elder." The female promptly grabbed her basket and left.

Ila-sain'ja rubbed her hand up one arm with a slow exhale. Sobek did not want to lie and say it wasn't his, so he left to avoid any conversation. He'd done it to her before, in the kherite. This time though, it left Ila-sain'ja feeling wounded. What would happen when the she carried her newborn baby around in public and he disowned it? Her heart was breaking at the thought.

Ila-sain'ja was browsing through the isle of cribs on display when Sobek finally came back. He didn't say a word, and started inspecting the crib she was standing in front of. He was acting like nothing happened, and it was putting her on edge. She was relieved when he said he had to leave, as a meeting was starting soon. However, that left her with a serious decision to make.

While Sobek attended his meeting about progressing alien technologies, she packed her belongings into suitcases. Taking things slow wasn't going to work when she already had a baby on the way. If Sobek wasn't going to own up to the fact that he had an ooman mate, then she couldn't stay with him. He was choosing his career over her. She'd never thought of it like that before, but it was true. So she planned to get a job, rent a room, and be a strong single mother like every other yautja female on the planet.

There was a guard standing in front of the conference room as she walked up, "Please tell Elder Sobek that I need to speak to him. It's important."

The guard went in the room and then came right back out, "You are permitted to enter."

The guard held open the door as she stepped inside. The room was unnecessarily large, with arched ceilings and decorative columns. The long table in the middle of the room levitated above the floor without a stand under it, and nearly thirty yautjas were seated at it-half of them females. None of them looked over at her, except for Sobek. Their focus was on a blue hologram screen above the table.

As he stood, his chair immediately sank into the floor, getting out of his way. "Excuse me for a moment."

Sobek walked over to her, crowding her towards the corner of the room for privacy, "This is a very crucial meeting. If it is not an emergency, you should not be here."

"I came to tell you that I'm leaving."

His mandibles twitched in thought, but he was otherwise frozen in place.

She swallowed hard, then continued, "I already informed Ylluna that you will no longer be responsible for me. My things are already packed. I just came to say goodbye."

"Why?"

"I came with you to look for a lifemate, and I didn't find one." Her eyes flickered over to the table, aware that even though they weren't looking, they were probably listening, "My mate won't admit in public that I'm his, that the suckling inside me is his own. What kind of mate is that?"

Sobek watched her eyes glaze over with tears, and wanted to comfort her. He couldn't touch her in front of thirty esteemed council members though, "Let's go talk outside."

"No! That's the point! Anything you have to say can be said in front of your colleagues, otherwise I don't want to hear it."

He kept his voice so low she could barely hear him, "Why does it matter if they don't know who the sire is? You know I am your mate, and I will be there to raise the pups."

She shook her head, "Goodbye."

When she started to move, he quickly grabbed her wrist, "Things will change."

"Maybe I'd believe that, if we weren't still whispering."

Sobek's fingers tightened around her wrist, and his voice was suddenly stern, "I'll prove it to you then."

He drug her along with him, and placed his palms on the tabletop, "Attention! I need to address the council."

It seemed like they were all arguing about something. Their voices were clipped and matter-of-fact. She supposed that she'd chosen a bad time to interrupt a meeting. Even so, the hologram they were watching paused, the council members turned in their seats to give Sobek their full attention.

"This ooman beside me is Ila-sain'ja. She is my mate. I have committed treason by intentionally withholding that information and hiding the evidence."

A ten foot male with pale yellow eyes and dry, leathery skin stood up. He spoke in a loud, penetrating voice, "You have always honored us by staying on The Path. As the eldest member of this council, it is my opinion that as long as you vow to abstain from mating the ooman that no actions be taken."

Sobek looked down at Ila-sain'ja dotingly, "I can't do that. She's chosen me as a lifemate."

"Hybrids are periodically born sterile, unable to continue the yautja race. Their lifespans are shortened. Their bone composition can be weaker, their senses less advanced. There are many ooman traits aren't desirable."

His mind immediately went to Ila-sain'ja's panic attacks, "I am aware of that."

"If you breed her again, we'll have you kicked out of the council. It is what's best for you, for the clan, and for the yautja race."

Ila-sain'ja felt horrible. She'd pushed Sobek into this, and he'd been right all along. The council was going to kick him out. She should have been content with keeping everything a secret, and should have never tried to leave. Ila-sain'ja ran to the door, her eyes glazing over with tears. She knew how important his status was within the council, and wouldn't make him choose between her and it.


	17. Chapter 17

The elder moved fluidly, but still beat her to the door without having to run. He confidently stood in front of the tall ornate door, blocking her only exit. She weakly attempted to shove him out of her way, but quickly realized that he wasn't going anywhere. She glumly dropped her hands back to her sides then, and the meeting resumed without him. They continued flipping through the hologram pictures, and multiple voices echoed around the room.

Sobek stood there, towering over her with his arms folded behind his back, and she broke down.

"I was upset, and didn't think things through. I know that should have talked to you first before interrupting your meeting. I'm sorry."

Sobek didn't budge, and she took it as though her apology wasn't good enough.

Her plan to leave hadn't changed though, "Can I just get past you?"

"No." He marched forward, forcing her take several steps back.

A female yautja spoke up in a harsh, clipped tone, "This is an official conference! Send that ooman away!"

Sobek didn't respond, and simply kept crowding Ila-sain'ja back towards the table. He put out his arm when she tried to move around him. All of the yautjas at the stone table were beginning to turn their attention back to her. They did not look pleased. She let out a loud sigh, figuring that he was going to start a heated argument on her behalf.

"You don't have to do this."

His black claws slid around her waist as he lifted her up into the edge of the cold stone table, "Ila-sain'ja, do I have your permission to mark you as a mate?"

Deep rumbles and growls immediately filled the room, as though they were standing in the middle of a wolf's den.

She barely got out the word, "Yes?" before he was upon her.

He placed one arm behind her back to keep her still, and his claws seized a handful of her hair. He could brand her skin and mark her as a mate, but Sobek prefered a more savage alternative. He bit down on her shoulder, right above her collarbone. She screamed as he sank his sharp teeth into her flesh, intending to leave a scar. Copper tasting blood gushed into his mouth and red lines of it trickled down her exposed chest.

Her body tensed with the pain, and her breathing kicked up a notch, but she fought back any more of a reaction. Seeming weak in front of a room full of highly distinguished yautjas was not going to convince them to see oomans as equals. When Sobek leaned away, he placed his palm on her chest and forced her to lay down. She was too concerned with the pain at first to try to determine what he was doing.

Sobek suddenly lept up, and planted his feet on the table top, with one foot on each side of her body. The stone table vibrated some with the impact, but didn't tip from his weight. Sobek's claws went to the leather cord that kept his loincloth in place, and he began to untie it. The cloth went loose around his hips. His hand tightly clenched the fabric, and then he forcefully tossed it to the floor.

The eldest male spoke up again in a dark voice, "If you mate that ooman right now, I'll rally to get you thrown out." His head turned to scan the other faces around the table, "No one seems to object. I think you and I both know that the vote to remove you from the council will be unanimous."

Sobek let out a low, sinister growl, but held back any obscenities.

His cock was steadily twitching upwards right in front of her eyes, yet the fact that he was about to mate her on the table in front of everyone was just starting to sink in. She wanted him to be proud as her as a mate, and stand up for her. He was doing that now. She wanted him to show affection in public as well. However, mating in the middle of a council meeting in front of almost thirty yautjas wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind.

Sobek watched Ila-sain'ja's eyes dart around the room as her chest rapidly continued to expand and contract with each labored breath. He could feel her hesitance like a tangible weight in the air. Sobek lowered to his hands and knees over her body, and his chest rattled with a low purr. He wouldn't remove her clothes right away. He knew she'd shut down and object.

Ila-sain'ja swallowed nervously as Sobek's hands slid over her body. He was gentle at first, just skimming his hands over her curves. It was slow and sensual. His motions quickly became hungrier though. Sobek's hands began to grasp her hips, and knead at her breasts through her shirt. Her body began to light up with arousal, and the crowd became less of a distraction.

Her hard nipples poked up through her shirt, and Sobek took full advantage. He gently plucked at them and rolled them between his fingers. Then he lowered his mouth over one, and his hot breath soaked into her skin. His teeth closed around her nipple and his tongue flickered over the sensitive bud. Her center flooded with warmth and wetness.

His rough hands went to her shorts, and began tugging them down. Her heart began to beat a little faster. Sobek was used to putting on a show and mating in public. Ila-sain'ja on the other hand, had never been an exhibitionist. It would be her first time in public, and she was going to do it in front of almost thirty angry council members.

When he felt her muscles become tense, Sobek rested his forehead against hers. His chest pulsed with a low, guttural purr, trying to lul away her anxiousness and erase any inhibitions. It was an intimate sound. It softened Ila-sain'ja's nerves and made her sex pulsed with arousal at the same time. Instead of focusing on the hard-faced council members, her eyes settled on Sobek.

His base skin color was a muddy brown, with small hints of deep purple around dark, mottled blotches. Branded symbols marked his body, signifying new achievements and triumphs. Mastering a difficult weapon, taking down advanced prey, or even a earning a high status position were notable feats that could be showed off through a brand. The designs were old however. New scars from intense hunts had torn through many of the branded symbols.

His dark grey dreds dangled down around her face. They were decorated with thick gold Koros bands. The bands could be carved with words or symbols to communicate different triumphs, just like the branded marks in his skin. Unlike the brands though, the beads in his hair up to date. One front band was marked with his status as clan council member. Another Koros band symbolized his title as an elder.

Ila-sain'ja grasped his strong biceps as Sobek urged his cock deep inside her with a satisfied rumble. As he pumped in and out of her soft channel, the pain from the bite on her shoulder melted into a distant ache. As the pleasure escalated, she began to writhe and squirm under his massive form. Her back arched, and her toes curled. Her foot bumped one of the small tablets and she heard it clang to the floor. One council member calmly slid his drink further away from her.

Most of the members had continued the proceedings, and weren't even paying any attention to their romp on the table. The hologram flickered over her head, and voices droned over her and Sobek's labored moans. Still, when a wash of pleasure rushed through her, she tried to stifle an orgasmic cry. Tried, but failed. All of the sudden, everyone's eyes were on her.

Her face went red with embarrassment, but she couldn't deny the excitement of knowing others had watched Sobek fuck her. Ila-sain'ja slid her hands up the contours of his abs, to his bulging biceps. She wanted to kiss him, but worried it was too intimate of an act for Sobek to do in public. Mating in front of others was something he was used to. For a yautja, sharing a kiss was a usually a private act.

Ila-sain'ja ran her palm across the hard line of his jaw, then delved her fingers into his hair. She gently squeezed at the base of his fleshy dreds, loving the way his body tensed and his cock twitched. She really shouldn't have teased him, knowing he could go again and again-more times than she could take. When she dropped her hand away though, Sobek backed off. Ila-sain'ja stood up, but when she attempted to climb off the table, Sobek prevented it.

"Not so fast. I'm not done with you yet."

His words sent a powerful pang of excitement running through her. He easily manhandled her, placing her on her hands and knees in front of him. The position gave her a perfect view of all the council members present. Her muscles tensed, and she swallowed nervously. When Sobek slapped his hand across her ass though, it made her wet all over again.

Sobek grasped her hips, and rammed the length of his cock into her ass. Anal was somewhat taboo, seeing as it was a waste of seed. Sobek was making a statement to the council members, and the council leader especially. His cock was slick with her pussy juices and slid in deep, but that didn't spare her from the pain.

She'd dealt with teeth digging into the flesh of her shoulder with dignity, but not this. Her ass was not made to take something in as large as his girth. She felt like he was tearing her open. The intense burning pain brought tears to her eyes. Her hands balled into fists and she covered her face with her arms so the entire council didn't see the tears roll down her cheeks.

Sobek seemed to sense her discomfort immediately. He let out a soft purr and ran his strong hands up and down her back like a massage. That didn't make up for the fact that he didn't ask permission, or even give her so much as a warning. She grit her teeth with the pain, wanting to whip around and slug him in the face if only they didn't have an audience.

As Sobek slowly backed off though, a tiny ripple of pleasure rolled through her. There was burning pain again as he gently pushed forward, but it was less intense than before. Ila-sain'ja relaxed as he continued to purr, and she discreetly wiped her eyes. There was pleasure again every time he retracted his length, until it overcame the pain, and anal suddenly felt just as good as regular sex.

Sobek gave up being gentle, and began to pound away at her her tight hole. Ila-sain'ja couldn't believe it, but she began to moan and dig her nails into the table top. She'd experienced orgasms before, but what was happening to her now was nothing like she'd ever experienced. Her body flexed and relaxed sporadically as surges of pleasure bolted throughout her body. Sobek plunged his rod deep inside her one last time, letting out a low rumble. He filled her with so much cum it leaked out around his cock.

Sobek slid out of her, leaving her ass feeling like it was stretched and gaping. He immediately jumped down from the table and snatched his loincloth off the floor. Ila-sain'ja still had her ass up and her face down on the stone table. Her heart was pounding so hard, it felt like it could break out of her chest. She couldn't catch her breath.

When she began to move, an older council member held out his hand to help her off the table. It could have been a trick to gain her consent. He'd have enough time to grope her before she told him no, and his touch would have been considered acceptable by his peers. She took his hand anyway. Even though he stared at her body, he didn't make a move. She supposed that Sobek's presence had something to do with it.

Even without being monogamous, they still guarded their mates to a degree. They'd want to ensure the female actually had their offspring, and not another males. It would be to a male's disadvantage if a mate had another males offspring after all the effort to court her. Another male handed her clothes over, and the council leader let out a deep growl. She supposed that his presence also had an effect on the other male council members.

As she put back on her clothes, the thrill of mating in public faded, and a sense of dread trickled in. Sobek had gone tense as well. Before Ila-sain'ja, all he had wanted was to be a renowned elder. He stuck to all the laws and clan customs wanting to be a perfect example of what a yautja male should be. He wanted to be looked up to, and remembered for generations even after he had past away. Now, his reputation was on the line.

The eldest male, the council leader, addressed Ila-sain'ja in a clipped and angry tone, "You are to blame for all of this! You succeeded in corrupting an elder for your own selfish reasons, and it is your fault that he will be banned from the council! When your offspring fail to compete with our standards, you will have no one else to blame but yourself! You will be his downfall!"

Ila-sain'ja clenched her hands into fists, ready for a fight, but Sobek jumped in first, "My actions were my own, and stand by my decisions even with the threat of loosing council status."

"Let's put it to a vote then. Who here agrees that Elder Sobek should leave the council?"

A few members placed their left palm on the table top, and slid them forward. That symbolized a "yes" vote. More than half of the members didn't budge though. Ila-sain'ja's heart fluttered, hoping she hadn't ruined Sobek's chance at staying on the council afterall. They needed a majority vote to kick him out.

The council leader wouldn't give it up, "Oomans are an inferior race, and should not be able to mingle with our bloodlines. I know ooman evolution and history: When the species was still forming, their hair fell out because they kept themselves so filthy. They survived famines only because of their gluttony, and all the stored fat on their bodies. The human race is designed to be lazy, and is well built to break down alcohol-one of their very first civilizations used almost half their grain just to produce beer. They are childish, and unessesarily cling to family. They can have everything and still be unhappy. That is not what we need to bring into the yautja race."

A deep scowl started to crease her face, but Ila-sain'ja didn't comment.

A male council member leaned forward and laced his fingers together on the table, "I'm aware of ooman evolution as well. As one theory goes, many billions of years ago amino acids from our yautja ancestors was in space until it landed on the newly forming earth over 4 billion years ago and helped form ooman predecessors. That's possibly why oomans are able to breed with us in the first place."

The council leader got fired up again,"That is just a theory, and it has many holes! Even species that share more DNA in common with humans than us still cannot interbreed! Humans have a poor sense of smell, even compared to other being on Earth. They have limited memories, and an inability to grasp large numbers. They have many biological flaws: Their pharynx has a dual function and that has caused innumerable deaths from choking. They have an inability to biosynthesize Vitamin C, leaving their immune systems weakened unless they directly ingest vitamin rich foods. They have a very narrow birth canal, leading to prolonged labor, increased pain, and even death-giving birth to a healthy-sized yautja pup will be a daunting task for an ooman."

When no one spoke up right away, the council leader continued, "They rapidly evolved to be bipedal, leaving their body with many flaws: They suffer from vertebral fractures, back problems, and weak knees. Their feet have too many bones because their ape-like ancestors needed flexible feet to grasp branches, but now it only results in weaker feet and ankles. Their sinuses are inefficient, and they have a blind spot in their vision that the brain fills in. They don't regrow adult teeth. They are bias in their thinking, and that makes them quite irrational at times. Attention Deficit Disorder is one of many common mental disorders that humans form, while mental illness is almost unheard of in yautjas."

A female council member spoke up, "You make ooman evolution sound sloppy, yet they evolved at an incredible pace and soon dominated their planet. Oomans have all these flaws, and yet we found them to be competitive and intriguing prey. They aren't perfect; they have mental illnesses, over stimulated emotions, and irrational cognition-and yet an elder would still chose an ooman as a mate. The odds were apparently against her, yet this female passed one of our chivas."

Another member spoke up, "Our chivas are designed to ensure that our species stays on top. If she passed the test, then it seems oomans are in our league after all."

The council member jumped in again, "No! Oomans are prey; they are beneath us! We need to set them apart from us! We cannot fuck them, as well as hunt them-they cannot be mates as well as prey! They must be one or the other!"

Another male spoke up, "There is no need for that. Oomans have been mates, slaves, prey, hunting partners, pets, and even allies in the past. Those that prove themselves can stand among us. Those that don't, will become trophies."

The clan leader wasn't having it, "We cannot allow the yautja race to weaken, and allowing more hybrids will do just that! Oomans have never broken records when it came to yautja competitions, and have never succeeded in taking down bigger prey!"

"The ooman population is miniscule, and most are not mates or hunting partners. Given more opportunities to compete and better themselves, oomans may surprise you."

The council leader disagreed, "There are no standards for oomans being brought from Earth! There are no laws that force them to even complete a chiva! They will be more comfortable sitting in their homes, eating and socializing, rather than hunting!"

An older male calmly chimed in, "Well, we know what we need to do then. If our clan has no rules or standards for oomans, then we need to form some."

Another member agreed, "Sobek has never disappointed us. Rather than banning him from the council, we should simply ensure yautjas are choosing strong, suitable mates."

"Who would vote on a law that requires all ooman mates to complete a chiva?"

The majority of council members slid their left palm forward on the table.

The council leader wasn't satisfied, "If oomans can complete our chivas, the yautja race is already failing! We are weaker than we realize!"

"So let's raise the standard, make our clan chivas harder then. There will be more casualties...our sons will perish. However, the strongest will prevail and our entire species will benefit."

The female yautja spoke up again, "Let's put it to a vote. Hands on the table if you wish to increase the difficulty of our clan chivas."

They were quick to impose standards and rules on oomans, but not new ones on their own species. Very few voted yes, and they needed a majority vote. Sobek suddenly stepped forward though, and placed his left palm on the stone table top. When he slid his hand forward, most of the members copied him. Even the council leader voted for it.

Ila-sain'ja beamed at up Sobek, getting that butterfly feeling in her stomach again. Any pups they had would have to complete a harder chiva now, and yet Sobek had voted for it. She took that as a sign that he believed in her, and that their children would succeed.

Sobek turned back to her, even as the meeting continued. Now the council had to go through all the details to set up the new regulations. Since she'd interrupted a meeting about progressing alien technologies, they also had that to finish up. She new getting through all the procedures was going to take a while, and Sobek was still a council member. Ila-sain'ja slowly started to back away, knowing that she had to let him get back to his work.

When Sobek followed her, she gave him a questioning glance, "I've never known you to skip a council meeting...?"

He let out a short grunt, "Only for you."

Sobek suddenly hauled her into the air, taking her by surprise, "Oh...!"

Her legs tangled around his waist and carried her from the conference room, swiftly heading for his bedroom. Sobek had come a long way if he was skipping a meeting to be with her. He was carrying her through the halls as well, something he would have never done in public before. Ila-sain'ja ran her fingers through his hair, teasing him before they reached his room. His muscles quivered when she squeezed a handful of the strands and he picked up his pace when she sucked on the fleshy end of one. She knew it couldn't always be like this, and he would have to leave for important meetings and long hunts-but for the time being, she liked his new attitude.

~Kết thúc~ (Vietnamese for "The end")


End file.
